Murphy USA of El Dorado will have its first native Arkansan and first female chief executive on Jan. 1.
That’s when Mindy K. West will succeed the only man who ever led the fuel and convenience store chain as an independent entity, retiring CEO and President R. Andrew Clyde.
Clyde, 61, took the helm when Murphy USA spun off from Murphy Oil in 2013. He’ll be retiring from the company and its board of directors at the end of the year.
West has spent her entire professional career at MUSA and Murphy Oil.
Previously an executive vice president and chief operating officer, she immediately took the role of Murphy USA president on Oct. 29, and will also succeed Clyde on the company’s board of directors on Jan. 1.
West, 56, has a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and an accounting degree from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. Born and raised in Fort Smith, she joined Murphy Oil in 1996, and was its investor relations officer for several years. She sits on the board of Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff and on the boards of the Razorback Foundation and Ducks Unlimited Inc. of Memphis.
Madison Murphy, MUSA’s board chairman, said in a statement that West’s “proven leadership and deep expertise in our business and industry make her uniquely qualified to guide Murphy USA into its next chapter.”
Clyde, a Chicago native, said West’s appointment emerged through a thoughtful succession plan. “I am certain that under her leadership, Murphy USA will continue its tradition of growth, disciplined capital allocation, and significant value creation for all stakeholders.”
West told Arkansas Business’ sister publication Little Rock Soirée in 2023 that she’s a proud lifelong Arkansan.
“I have been fortunate to work my way up from an entry-level accountant,” West said. “I’ve never seen a challenge I didn’t believe I could overcome, and thrive in situations requiring focus, creativity, resilience and determination.”
As president and CEO, West can presumably expect a healthy pay bump.
According to MUSA’s 2025 proxy statement, issued in March for 2024, West had total compensation of $3.85 million, up from $3.2 million the year before and $3.1 million in 2022. Clyde’s total 2024 compensation was just north of $11 million.
After his retirement, Clyde will stay with MUSA as a nonexecutive adviser through February 2027 “to help ensure a smooth and orderly transition,” the company said.
Before joining the company at its spinoff, Clyde spent 20 years at Booz & Co., the strategy consulting business unit of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“During his tenure as CEO, Mr. Clyde led Murphy USA’s successful value-creation strategy and oversaw expansion of the business to 27 states and more than 1,770 locations,” the company said in announcing the retirement.
“Andrew Clyde is an icon in the industry and has driven unparalleled results since our spin in 2013,” Madison Murphy said. “The Board extends its sincere gratitude to Andrew for his exceptional leadership. In addition to driving growth and results for Murphy USA, Andrew has built an exceptional leadership team and positioned Mindy for a strong and seamless transition.”
With 17,000 employees in 27 states, Murphy USA is Arkansas’ third-largest publicly traded company, behind Walmart of Bentonville and Tyson Foods of Springdale. It ranks 231st in the Fortune 500.
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