Executive Movements — January 2010
LAKE FOREST, Calif.— JOHN FULLER has been named chief executive of JOHNNY ROCKETS GROUP INC., parent of the 280-unit 1950s-style diner chain, replacing LEE SANDERS. Fuller has served as chief financial officer for Johnny Rockets since April 2008, and previously worked with San Diego-based hospitality group JC Resorts and Rubio’s Restaurants Inc. Fuller said Johnny Rockets has no immediate plans to fill the CFO position, so he will maintain those duties in addition to those of chief executive. His appointment is effective Jan. 20. Johnny Rockets officials said Sanders was leaving to pursue another opportunity and that he would reveal his plans later this month.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – FIREHOUSE OF AMERICA LLC, the franchising arm of 372-unit Firehouse Subs, said it has promoted DON FOX from chief operating officer to chief executive, succeeding ROBIN SORENSEN, company co-founder. Sorensen will become chairman of the franchising company and remain chief executive of parent company Firehouse Restaurant Group Inc.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – DENNY’S CORP. Friday said chief marketing and innovation officer, MARK CHMIEL, and chief operating officer, JANIS EMPLIT, have resigned. Senior director of product innovation, ANDY DISMORE, reportedly also left the Spartanburg-based company. Denny's said it is searching for Chmiel and Emplit’s replacements. The marketing and research and development teams lost other executives, sources said, but details and numbers were not provided. “While we have been making a number of meaningful improvements to our business... our comp store sales have been a challenge,” NELSON MARCHIOLI, president and chief executive officer of Denny’s, stated. “As the external operating environment remains difficult and the industry increasingly competitive, it is necessary to ensure we have the leadership that can drive sales and the brand forward as it progresses in its transition to a primarily franchisefocused business model.” Denny’s operates 256 family restaurants and franchises or licenses another 1,289 to others.
WASHINGTON – The NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION has appointed SCOTT DEFIFE executive vice president of policy and government affairs, the association said Monday. DeFife joins the NRA from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, where he oversaw government affairs. Prior to that, he was senior policy advisor to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and held senior legislative posts with three other Democratic lawmakers. DAWN SWEENEY, NRA chief executive, said DeFife’s “advocacy experience in complex policy and legislation, superlative bipartisan credentials and substantive approach will be of great benefit” to the association, its members and the industry.
SEATTLE – SEATTLE’S BEST COFFEE Thursday said it named JOHN WUYCHECK to the new post of vice president of franchise business development. STARBUCKS CORP. owns SBC, a 550-unit chain that has grown primarily through licensing in Border’s bookstores. Wuycheck moved over from Hydration Technologies Inc., but he previously was vice president of development for Kahala Franchise Corp., franchisor of Cold Stone Creamery, Blimpie and Taco Time, among other foodservice brands.
OAK BROOK ,Ill. – Following Tuesday’s surprise announcement by MCDONALD’S CORP. that chief operating officer RALPH ALVAREZ will soon retire, many analysts expressed confidence in the company’s ability to seamlessly replace him. Alvarez’s year end retirement “is a negative development, but one that CEO Jim Skinner and a strong overall management team can handle,” said JOSEPH BUCKLEY, an analyst with BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH. During executive shakeups questions of succession planning could negatively affect a company’s stock price, debt ratings or other factors of shareholder value, said BRUCE SHERMAN, principal of Chicago-based INTEGRAL ADVISORS LLC. However, he said, McDonald’s has proven it can handle unexpected transitions. The company named Skinner chief executive in 2004 after Charlie Bell developed colon cancer. Bell, who died in 2005, had assumed the role earlier in 2004 following Jim Cantalupo’s death from a heart attack. McDonald’s has not said when it will name a replacement COO. For now, the regional operations presidents who had reported to Alvarez will report directly to Skinner. Analysts have speculated that three of those regional presidents — DON THOMPSON, leader of the U.S. region; TIM FENTON, Asia; and DENNIS HENNEQUIN, Europe — are leading candidates for the COO job. McDonald’s share price finished down $1.05 in trading Wednesday to close at $62.50. The Oak Brook company operates or franchises more than 32,000 quick-service restaurants worldwide.
SEATTLE — JOHN CULVER has been named president of STARBUCKS COFFEE INTERNATIONAL, replacing MARTIN COLES, who resigned to pursue new opportunities, the coffeehouse giant said Tuesday. Culver, who has been with Starbucks for seven years, most recently served as president of the company’s Global Consumer Products and Foodservice division. That role will be taken on in the interim by MICHELLE GASS, who recently was named president of SEATTLE’S BEST COFFEE. Gass will maintain both positions until a permanent replacement for Culver can be found, Starbucks said. In his new role, Culver will oversee the operations and business development for all markets outside the United States, an area of growth for Starbucks. Prior to working in CPG and Foodservice, Culver headed Starbucks’ Asia Pacific region. At the end of the September-ended quarter, Starbucks had 11,128 domestic and 5,507 international units.
DALLAS — BRINKER INTERNATIONAL INC. has named WYMAN ROBERTS, its former chief marketing officer, to the role of president for both the CHILI’S GRILL & BAR AND GRILL and ON THE BORDER MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA chains. He replaces TODD DIENER, who has stepped down after 27 years with the company, Brinker said Friday. Roberts previously served as president of the Maggiano’s Little Italy brand, and now STEVE PROVOST, formerly the senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy for the Italian casual-dining chain, will assume the president title.
ATLANTA — TED’S MONTANA GRILL said it has named DANIELLE CLARK chief financial officer of the 55-unit casual-dining company. She replaces SUSAN ALVAREZ, who retired, the company said Wednesday.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — KONA GRILL INC. said Friday that MARK L. BARTHOLOMAY had resigned as chief operating officer of the 24-unit chain “to pursue other business and personal interests.” From May until earlier this month, Bartholomay also had served as interim president and chief executive of the American grill-sushi chain since the resignation of MARCUS JUNDT. Kona’s board on Nov. 2 named MARC BUEHLER president and CEO.
SPRINGDALE, Ark. – TYSON FOODS INC. has promoted senior vice president of poultry and prepared foods DONNIE SMITH to company president and chief executive. He succeeds LELAND TOLLETT, who has served as interim president and chief executive since January.
PORTLAND, Ore. — MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS INC. on Wednesday named MICHELLE LANTOW chief financial officer, effective. Jan. 6. Lantow will replace former CFO Emmanuel Hilario, who left the company in May. Lantow was most recently the president and chief financial officer for Lucy Activewear Inc., a Portland, Ore.-based athletic apparel company.
CARLSBAD,Calif.— ISLANDS RESTAURANTS has promoted MICHAEL SMITH to the role of president, effective immediately, officials announced Tuesday. Smith served previously as vice president of operations and has worked with the 57-unit casual-dining chain for 22 years. He joined the company right out of college at an Islands location in West Los Angeles and climbed the hierarchy ladder over the years, serving as general manager, regional manager, and director of operations for the company. Smith replaces founder and chief executive TONY DEGRAZIER, who also served as acting president since Doug Kollus left the position in mid-2008.
MIAMI — BURGER KING CORP. said Tuesday that global marketing president RUSS KLEIN, who has been on a personal leave since September, would resign from the company Dec. 15 for personal reasons. PETER ROBINSON, former president of Burger King’s Europe, Middle East and Africa business segment, will take over marketing duties on an interim basis while the company seeks Klein’s replacement. Klein has been with Burger King for more than six years, overseeing such widely discussed campaigns as the Whopper Virgins, Subservient Chicken and Facebook “unfriending.” JOHN W. CHIDSEY, Burger King’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement that Klein’s “executive and marketing leadership was a key factor in the company delivering six consecutive years of positive comparable sales through fiscal 2009, being named by Ad Week as one of the Top 3 industrychanging advertisers within the last three decades and being recognized by Interbrand on its 2009 Top 100 Best Global Brands list.”
EMERYVILLE, Calif. — JAMBA INC. has promoted SUSAN SHIELDS to the role of senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the 742-unit Jamba Juice smoothie chain, the company said Tuesday. Shields, who previously served as the company’s vice president of consumer products, licensing and growth initiatives, replaces PAUL COLETTA, who resigned as senior vice president, chief marketing and brand officer in December to pursue other interests. In her new role, Shields will help drive comprehensive growth of the Jamba brand through leadership of all the marketing and innovation initiatives, officials said. She will report directly to JAMES WHITE, Jamba’s president and chief executive.