Huntington Beach, CA — Greg Trojan will join BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. as president in December and CEO in February, when the company’s current chairman, president and CEO, Jerry Deitchle, plans to retire as CEO.
Huntington Beach, CA — BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. has hired Gregory A. (Greg) Trojan as president and a director effective December 3, 2012. Gerald W. (Jerry) Deitchle, the company’s current chairman, president and CEO, will retire as CEO effective February 1, 2013 and Trojan will succeed him as CEO on that date. Deitchle will continue as chairman of the company’s board of directors.
Since October 2007, Trojan has been employed by Guitar Center Holdings, Inc., a privately held retailer of music products with 232 Guitar Center stores in 43 states and 109 Music & Arts stores in 22 states. Trojan initially joined Guitar Center as president and chief operating officer and a director and became its CEO in November 2010. From 1996 to 2006, Trojan served as CEO of House of Blues Entertainment, Inc., an operator of restaurant and music venues, concerts and media properties. Prior to that, he served as CEO of the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant chain for 2 years when it was owned by PepsiCo Inc.
“After an extensive year-long national search, BJ’s is very fortunate to have secured the services of such a highly talented and experienced business leader as Greg Trojan,” says Peter Bassi, the company’s lead independent director. “Greg’s background and experience in leading large, national consumer brands and chain-store operations will be of significant value to BJ’s as the company continues to execute its national expansion plan.”
“Greg Trojan knows our industry and also knows how to successfully grow consumer chain-store brands and operations to the multi-billion level in multiple distribution channels,” says Deitchle. “In my view, Greg is absolutely the right leader at the right time for BJ’s going forward, and I am pleased to pass the company’s leadership baton to him. With only 127 restaurants open today, we are just beginning the third inning of BJ’s solid national expansion program. I am excited to continue as BJ’s chairman for the foreseeable future.”
BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. currently owns and operates 127 casual dining restaurants under the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery®, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse®, BJ’s Pizza & Grill® and BJ’s Grill® brand names. For more information, visit http://www.bjsrestaurants.com.