Dublin, Ohio — The Wendy’s Company has appointed John Min as its chief legal officer and secretary and Mary Greenlee as senior vice president, U.S. operations. Min will report to Wendy’s president and chief executive officer, Kirk Tanner; and Greenlee will report to the president, U.S., Abigail Pringle. Min succeeds E.J. Wunsch, who was appointed as Wendy’s president, international in June 2024. “I’m pleased to welcome John and Mary to the Wendy’s team,” says Tanner. “John’s proven track record of managing complex commercial transactions, his extensive background in legal strategy …
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Santa Clara, Calif. — Cequence, a pioneer in API security and bot management, has been selected by Hibbett, a leading athletic-inspired fashion retailer, to enhance Hibbett’s automated threat detection capabilities and enable comprehensive inventory management, compliance and API protection across all online and in-store brands. Like many retailers, Hibbett operates in a hybrid IT environment, juggling both on-premises and cloud-based systems for its retail and online operations. After critical SaaS migration to Oracle Cloud and Azure Active Directory, the company prioritized robust API security to ensure secure and efficient API …
Atlanta — Smalls Sliders has appointed industry veteran and financial expert Dan Hurwitz as its new chief financial officer. In his new role, Hurwitz will focus on supporting investment decisions to drive profitable growth for Smalls Sliders as the brand continues expanding its capabilities as an industry disruptor. With over two decades of experience managing and overseeing the financial growth of several known brands, Hurwitz will play a key role in Smalls Sliders’ growing leadership team. Hurwitz’s background includes his most recent position as CFO of Philz Coffee, where he …
Minneapolis — Target Corporation has named Amy Tu as chief legal and compliance officer and corporate secretary. In her new role, Tu now leads the company’s legal, compliance and corporate governance functions. She succeeds Don Liu, who recently announced his upcoming retirement and will transition to a strategic advisory role. Tu joins Target’s leadership team and will report to Brian Cornell, chair and CEO. “Amy’s experience, both in legal and business leadership, offers strong continuity at the top of our legal affairs and compliance teams,” says Cornell. “Her stewardship will help …
Wichita, Kan. — Fast-casual restaurant concept Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers® has signed four separate development deals that will build the brand’s presence across Washington, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey and Texas. These deals are being individually spearheaded by a mix of both current and new Freddy’s franchisees and will add a total of 21 restaurant locations to the franchise system. Among these deals, Freddy’s is planning its first restaurants in the state of Washington, with a 10-unit development agreement for the Seattle market. Another franchise deal, this time in the …
Atlanta — The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) has opened its new corporate headquarters, flagship retail location and community center in Midtown Atlanta. Grand opening events and ribbon-cutting festivities took place Sept. 12-14. Strategically located on the iconic Atlanta Beltline and Piedmont Park, the new location aims to integrate seamlessly into the fabric of the neighborhood. The Athlete’s Foot plans to implement community enrichment, sponsorships and educational programming underscoring its commitment to supporting local communities and fostering meaningful connections. “We are thrilled to unveil our new U.S. headquarters, flagship store and community …
Denver — Smashburger® has appointed Jim Sullivan as chief development officer. In his new role, Sullivan is responsible for overseeing all facets of restaurant development, including market planning, site selection and franchise sales, with a strategic focus on elevating Smashburger’s brand identity in the fast-casual space. “We are thrilled to welcome Jim Sullivan as Smashburger’s new chief development officer,” says Denise Nelsen, CEO of Smashburger. “Jim brings unparalleled expertise, passion and a deep understanding of the fast-casual industry that will be instrumental in driving our ambitious expansion plans both domestically …
Birmingham, Ala. — Books-A-Million has promoted Damian Doggett to the position of senior vice president and chief accounting officer. “This promotion is a recognition of Damian’s years of strong and creative leadership of our accounting, tax and payroll departments, along with his critical role in supporting our transition to new technology platforms,” says Terrance G. Finley, chief executive officer of Books-A-Million. “It is gratifying to have someone of Damian’s experience and dedication in a position to help us meet the evolving challenges and tremendous opportunities in the years ahead.” Since …
New York City — KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, a unique, hands-on, all-you-can-eat dining experience that merges traditional Asian Hot Pot with Korean BBQ flavors, has opened its 80th location, which is also the brand’s first location in New York City. The new restaurant is located at 310 W. 38th St. in Manhattan’s Midtown West neighborhood. “We’re thrilled to bring KPOT’s unique dining experience to the vibrant culinary landscape of New York City,” says Margaret M. Farrell, head of marketing for Vertex Hospitality. “New York is home to diverse …
Irvine, Calif. — Tilly’s, Inc. and its board of directors have appointed Hezy Shaked, the company’s co-founder and executive chairman of the board, as its president and chief executive officer. “As the co-founder of this 42-year-old company, there is no one who cares about it more deeply than I do,” Shaked says. “I remain fully committed and enthusiastic about making every effort to work toward improving our business.” Shaked had been serving as the company’s interim president and chief executive officer since January 21, 2024, and served as president and …