Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens to deliver Commencement 2025 keynote address

One of South Jersey’s best-known hometown business people comes to Rowan University this spring when Chris Gheysens, Chairman and CEO of Wawa, delivers the Commencement keynote address.

A Vineland native, Gheysens will address graduates, family and friends during the University’s main Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 10, in Coach Richard Wackar Stadium.

Deeply connected to the region, Gheysens is a 1993 graduate of Villanova University’s School of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University, which awarded him an honorary Doctor of Leadership degree and the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Achievement Award in 2022.

Part of the Wawa team for more than 27 years, he was an accountant for Deloitte, one of the “Big 4” consulting firms, before joining Wawa in 1997. Gheysens became Wawa’s chief financial officer in 2007 and was elevated to president and CEO four years later.

“I’ve been in this role for 12 plus years,” Gheysens said in a 2024 interview. “There wasn’t a grand plan to be a CEO of a big company someday, that’s just how it worked out.”

Wawa began as a southern New Jersey iron foundry in the early 1800s and opened a dairy plant in 1902 in Pennsylvania. The original dairy was located in Delaware County, Pa., in an area known as Wawa which also included a post office and train stop with that name.

The company’s name was inspired by the indigenous word for the geese that flew over the dairy plant site. Today, the goose is part of the Company’s logo and serves as a symbol of the unique culture of teamwork and support that continue within it.

Wawa opened its first retail store in Folsom, Pa., in 1964, and today owns and operates more than 1,100 outlets in nine states. Wawa is a privately held, family- and associate-owned company with more than 45,000 associates that serves nearly two million customers each day.

In addition to leading Wawa, Gheysens serves on the WSFS Bank Board of Directors and is Chairman of the Board of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Join us for the University-wide celebration

For all graduates and guests, the University-wide Commencement ceremony and celebration begins at 10 a.m. May 10 in Wackar Stadium. The event will include messages from Houshmand and other distinguished speakers, the conferral of degrees, plus exciting surprises—followed by a celebration with complimentary refreshments, music, photo opportunities, and a beer and wine garden (for a fee). All graduates from all degree levels are invited to attend.

In the event of extreme weather, the ceremony will be postponed until Sunday, May 11, at 3 p.m., with the celebration to follow.

Ceremonies for each college and school: Monday, May 12 to Thursday, May 15

Ten individual college and school Commencement ceremonies are scheduled throughout the week at Wackar Stadium, with the exception of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which will celebrate in Esbjornson Gymnasium. All ceremonies will be livestreamed and, at the ceremonies, graduates will be called to the stage to have their name read aloud and receive a diploma cover. Afterward, attendees may enjoy snacks, themed photo ops and more.

Hooding ceremony for doctoral and educational specialist candidates

The School of Graduate Studies Hooding Ceremony for Ed.D., Ed.S. and Ph.D. graduates will be held Friday, May 9, at 3 p.m. in Esbjornson Gymnasium. A reception will follow.