Executive Movements March 2007
MINNEAPOLIS — CARIBOU COFFEE CO. Inc. has hired operations and human-resources veteran ROZ MALLET as the coffee chain'ss new president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. Mallet moves to Caribou from La Madeleine French Bakery, Café and Bistro, the Dallas-based fast-casual chain where she served as chief operating officer. At Caribou, Mallet assumes the president's title from MICHAEL COLES, who remains chairman and chief executive. The COO post is a new one for the 464-unit, predominantly company-operated chain. Only 24 of its locations are licensed, according to the company, which is headquartered here. It operates in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Mallet joined Le Madeleine from Carlson Cos., parent of the T.G.I. Friday's chain, where she'd headed up the casual-dining concept's human resources department. She has also worked in an HR capacity for Applebee's. Caribou is a public company whose shares are traded on the NASDAQ exchange.
DENVER — KEN KEYMER has been hired to succeed DEBRA KOENIG as chief executive officer of VICORP RESTAURANTS INC., parent here of the Village Inn and Bakers Square family restaurant chains, according to The Denver Business Journal. Keymer resigned in early March as president and CEO of AFC Enterprises, the Atlanta-based parent of the Popeyes quick-service chain. At the time, AFC said that Keymer would not leave the company until the end of March, but gave no reason for his resignation. The Business Journal reported that Koenig resigned her posts at Vicorp on March 5. She had served as chairman as well as CEO. Koenig had joined Vicorp in 2003 after serving as a regional president of McDonald'ss Corp. Her position at the burger giant had been eliminated through a restructuring. She was a 25-year veteran of McDonald's. Keymer had lived and worked in the greater Denver area when he served as president of the Boulder, Colo.-based Noodles & Co. fast-casual chain. Vicorp owns or franchises more than 400 restaurants under the Village Inn and Bakers Square names. The company was acquired in a $250 million buyout in 2003 by the investment firm Wind Point Partners.
DUBLIN, Ohio — WENDY'S INTERNATIONAL INC. said it added two senior vice presidents to its management team, one to lead the newly formed Innovation and Strategy Group and the other to manage the brand's supply chain. Wendy's named PAUL KERSHISNIK senior vice president of marketing strategy and innovation, a new position the company first created in July. He will lead the company's innovation and strategy group, consisting of three veteran Wendy'ss vice presidents, that covers research and development, strategic planning and operations innovation. Kershisnik will report to Ian Rowden, Wendy's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Kershisnik most recently served as a vice president of new product innovations and research and development at Mrs. Fields Famous Brands LLC, and formerly had worked with General Mills, Sprint and Pizza Hut. Wendy's named TAD WAMPFLER senior vice president of supply chain management. He will report to Wendy's chief executive Kerrii Anderson. Formerly, Wampfler served as chief executive and president of Supply Chain Management Services Inc., a franchisee-owned co-op that manages the supply chain for a number of brands including Church's, Popeyes and Cinnabon. He also formerly served as head of supply chain at Dunkin's Brands Inc. Full Press Release
OAK BROOK, Ill. — MCDONALD'S CORP. on Wednesday disclosed that chief executive JIM SKINNER will receive bonuses totaling more than $8.8 million as rewards for the chain's financial turnaround since 2004. Skinner will get a three-year performance payout of $5.33 million and a 2006 bonus of $3.5 million, the company said in securities filings.
SAN FRANCISCO — TRADER VIC'S, seeking to reinvigorate the 70-year-old brand, has named a business development specialist from Australia as its new president and CEO. ROBERT DAVIES was with the Australian Trade Commission, where he helped increase U.S. wine imports. He succeeds HANS RICHTER, who is now vice chairman of global affairs. The appointment follows the completion of a deal with United Airlines to serve Trader Vic's brand meals and drinks on flights to and from Hawaii. Full Press Release
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — HACIENDA MEXICAN RESTAURANTS president DEAN GOODWIN has added the title of cochief executive as part of the 12-unit dinnerhouse chain's succession plan. BOB KILL will continuing as co-CEO and chairman of the board but will drop the co-CEO role at the end of next year, Goodwin said. “Continuity of leadership is critical to the success of every business, and Dean Goodwin's contributions have been nothing short of outstanding,” Kill said. The two, partners for the last 12 years, own about two-thirds of the company.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL INC. has hired GEORGE WILLIAMS, a former Blockbuster Inc. and ad agency executive, as chief marketing officer to replace John Cywinski, who resigned last May. Williams will be responsible for all advertising and marketing as well as the overall direction of the chain's food and menu strategy and research and development. He will report to Applebee's chief executive DAVE GOEBEL. Most recently Williams had been a private marketing consultant. Before that he was senior vice president of marketing for Blockbuster and worked in marketing positions for Pearle Vision Center, Long John Silver's and Days Inn. Full Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI , Texas — WHATABURGER RESTAURANTS LP has promoted PRESTON ATKINSON from executive vice president to president of the 700-unit chain, filling the vacancy left by the February 2005 departure of Tim Taft to become CEO of the Pizza Inn chain. Atkinson, who retains his prior title of chief operating officer, joined Whataburger as vice president of construction in 1998. Previously, he had built Whataburger restaurants as president of Atkinson and Associates Builders. He was promoted to chief development officer and became COO in 2005. Full Press Release
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — TACO JOHN'S INTERNATIONAL, franchisor or operator of 430 quick-service restaurants in 26 states, has promoted BARRY SIMS to president. He succeeds Paul Fisherkeller, who remains chief executive and chairman. Sims, 51, worked his way up to chief financial officer and executive vice president after joining Taco John's in 1986. A certified public accountant, Sims previously was employed with McGladrey & Pullen in Rapid City, S.D. Sims' promotion was part of a succession planning strategy begun in 2005, according to company spokesman Brian Dixon. Taco John's has had 10 consecutive years of same-store sales growth under Fisherkeller's leadership. Full Press Release
ORLANDO, Fla. — The six-unit EARL OF SANDWICH chain, based here, has hired former basketball center SIDNEY GREEN to help recruit franchisees. As the company's new “director of non-traditional development,” Green, who retired from the NBA in 1993 after playing with teams in Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Detroit, New York, Orlando, Fla., and San Antonio, will make his restaurant debut Feb. 16-18 at the NBA All-Star game in Las Vegas. Green “brings a lot of perspective to development with a competitive mind-set that comes from being a professional athlete,” said ROBERT EARL, founder of Earl of Sandwich. Full Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — ABUELO'S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY, the 37-unit casual-dining chain owned by FOOD CONCEPTS INTERNATIONAL here, has appointed RENÉE UNDERWOOD to the new post of vice president of marketing. Underwood most recently was vice president of marketing for United Supermarkets Inc. 
SAN FRANCISCO — JAMBA INC., parent of the 595-unit Jamba Juice smoothie chain, has hired Starbucks Coffee's former product development director, BRIAN LEE, to develop in-store snack food offerings this year and add flavors to the All FruitT smoothie line. Lee, whose title at Jamba is vice president of product innovation, is a 20-year veteran of product development, including stints at Taco Bell, Pepsi-Cola and Starkist Foods. Full Press Release
DALLAS — BOSTON PIZZA RESTAURANTS L.P. has named DOUG MACDONALD president of the nearly 50- unit Boston's The Gourmet Pizza chain. He assumes the responsibilities of Boston Pizza brand owner JIM TRELIVING, who remains chairman. MacDonald most recently was executive vice president for the Western Canadian division of Boston Pizza International. Full Press Release
CHICAGO — COLLEEN MCSHANE, president of the ILLINOIS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION for the past 14 years, plans to resign effective Feb. 5. No reason was given by the IRA. The association is forming a search committee to seek a replacement. In the interim, MOIRA O'BRIEN, the association's vice president, will oversee day-to-day operations.
PHILADELPHIA — ARAMARK CORP., the multibillion-dollar contract feeder based here, appointed industry veteran CHRISTOPHER “C.T.” NICE to the post of vice president of food and beverage for its Sports and Entertainment Group. He will be responsible for developing programs and strategies for the company's concessions and premium dining services at stadium and arena accounts, convention centers, cultural attractions and at the Harrison Lodging lines of business. He will report to FRANK SICA, vice president of client solutions and strategy for Aramark's sports and entertainment division. Before joining Aramark, Nice spent 15 years with Centerplate, the sports and entertainment contract foodservice company based in Spartanburg, S.C. He also is president of Nice Co. Management Inc., a franchisee of Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Express restaurants in Texas. Full Press Release