Executive Movements December 2007
ATLANTA — FRANK J. BELATTI, founder of AFC ENTERPRISES INC., which is now parent to the POPEYES CHICKEN & BISCUITS brand, is retiring as chairman of the company, according to a Dec. 3 statement. AFC board member JOHN M. CRANOR, a former leader of Long John Silver’s and KFC, will succeed Belatti in the post. It was unclear at press time when the transition would occur and calls to the company were not returned. Belatti founded AFC Enterprises in 1992 and served as its CEO until 2005, when he then became chairman. During his tenure as CEO he took the company public in March 2001, after developing AFC’s brand portfolio to include the Church’s Chicken, Cinnabon and Seattle Coffee Co. concepts. All of those brands have since been divested. As CEO, Belatti also faced accusations of financial fraud, and related shareholder lawsuits. The largest of those lawsuits was settled in 2005 for about $15 million. AFC, based here, operates or franchises 1,881 Popeyes restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and 24 foreign countries.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — CARL HOWARD has stepped down as president and chief executive of DAMON’S GRILL parent Damon’s International Inc. after 17 months in the job, citing unspecified personal reasons. But the company said Howard would serve as a consultant to help in finding his replacement. Howard rose to the posts from chief financial officer and chief operating officer in April 2006, after ALLIANCE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, a real estate developer, acquired Damon’s last year. Howard previously was a Damon’s franchisee. The repositioning program Howard headed will remain in place, said BILL BURK, Alliance’s president and Damon’s chairman. That plan includes opening units with a new design and overhauling most of the menu. Some 10 units sporting the new look are in various planning stages. After closing underperforming units since its acquisition by Alliance, Damon’s now operates or franchises 70 restaurants in the United States and the United Kingdom.
EAGAN, Minn. — BUFFETS HOLDINGS INC. has named Pizza Hut veteran STEVEN LAYT chief operating officer of the company and its BUFFETS INC. subsidiary, effective Dec. 31. The position is a new one for Buffets, chief financial officer A. Keith Wall said. Layt, 35, most recently was franchise head coach for Pizza Hut, with responsibility for some 2,300 restaurants in the eastern United States. He has more than 19 years of restaurant industry experience. Buffets Inc. operates 626 restaurants in 39 states, including 615 steak-buffet restaurants and 11 Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse restaurants. The company also franchises 16 steak-buffet outlets under the Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Ryan’s and Fire Mountain brands.
OAK BROOK, Ill. — MCDONALD´S CORP. has named marketing vice president NEIL GOLDEN to succeed WILLIAM LAMAR JR. as chief marketing officer when he retires at the end of next year´s first quarter, capping a career at the burger chain that lasted more than 20 years. Golden is an 18-year veteran of McDonald´s. Lamar has been CMO of McDonald´s USA since August 2002. He was part of the management team that developed the company´s Plan To Win, which helped turn around McDonald´s in 2003. He also led McDonald´s efforts to focus marketing under one system, including the “i´m lovin´ it” campaign. Lamar spent half of his career at McDonald´s in operations.
LOS ALTOS, Calif. — BRUCE MACDIARMID has been named president and chief operating officer of the BLACK ANGUS STEAKHOUSE chain, officials said Tuesday. MacDiarmid, who has been the chain´s chief operating officer for two years, succeeds RALPH ROBERTS, who is retiring after more than 20 years as president. MacDiarmid, who joined Black Angus in 2005, previously had worked with Chevys Fresh Mex Restaurants. Black Angus, based here, has 82 restaurants in 10 states, primarily in the Western United States.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – BOB EVANS FARMS INC. on Tuesday named TIM PULIDO president of its 118–unit MIMI´S CAFE casual–dining chain, effective Dec. 3. The CEO of the Californiabased Shakey´s pizza chain since 2006 previously was president of the Pick Up Stix fast-casual Asian chain and before that was McDonald´s Corp.´s global new concept development officer and Pizza Hut´s chief marketing officer. At Mimi´s Cafe, he will succeed RUSS BENDEL, whose departed from the chain Aug. 31 to pursue another opportunity, leaving COO DAN DILLON as interim president. Separately Tuesday, the sausage manufacturer and owner of 579 Bob Evans family restaurants also reported a 14.8–percent increase in earnings for its second quarter ended Oct. 26 to $15.5 million, or 45 cents per share, on a 3.3–percent rise in revenues to $426.3 million. The per–share net beat analysts´ averaged projection of 39 cents, and propelled Bob Evans´ stock to an industry-leading gain in Tuesday trading.- OAK BROOK, Ill. — MCDONALD´S CORP. has appointed PETER J. BENSEN chief financial officer, effective Jan. 1. He would succeed MATTHEW PAULL, who is retiring. Bensen, 45, currently is McDonald´s senior vice president and corporate controller, and is an 11–year veteran of the company. Paull, who has been CFO since 2001, said in July that he would leave McDonald´s by year-end to pursue a college teaching position.
- HONG KONG — MCDONALD´S CORP. has suspended LAU SI-SING as managing director of MCDONALD´S HONG KONG, pending the outcome of his trial on charges of taking bribes from a Thailand-based corn supplier. Hong Kong´s Independent Commission Against Corruption indicated Monday that it was charging Lau with receiving kickbacks of 10 percent of the order price between May 2005 and April 2007. The ICAC indicated that McDonald´s had cooperated fully with the investigation. McDonald´s has more than 200 Hong Kong branches.