Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. has hired Jordan Chirico as executive vice president and head of debt capital markets. He joins FAT Brands with nearly 20 years of Wall Street experience and will be focused on the company’s balance sheet including its $1.2 billion Whole Business Securitization portfolio, additional acquisition financings, preferred stock and other debt-related strategies. Chirico spent the first half of his career in structured finance at Bank of America, Robert W. Baird and Credit Suisse before pivoting to the asset management side of …
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Lakewood, Colo. — Todd Dissinger, chief financial officer of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., has informed the company of his intention to retire on December 31, 2024. He will continue to serve as chief financial officer until his successor is appointed to ensure a smooth transition. “Since his appointment as chief financial officer in December 2017, Dissinger has been an invaluable member of our executive team, helping Natural Grocers to execute on its founding principles while achieving record financial performance and enhancing shareholder value,” says Kemper Isely, chairman and …
Houston — Shipley Do-Nuts has further built out its development team to include experienced construction project managers to help franchisees through every aspect of design, permitting and construction, including overseeing timelines and conducting site visits to ensure quicker shop openings without costly delays. Ryan Pullin, Shipley’s new director of design, has nearly 15 years’ experience in commercial and retail construction project management, with a focus on cost control. He joined the company after serving as president of Elite 3 Construction. Korelle Dickson, who joined the company as construction project manager, …
Layne’s Chicken Fingers Welcomes New Senior Director of Operations and Director of Marketing
College Station, Texas — With 16 restaurants open and another 212 awarded, including 91 in the first quarter alone, chicken finger franchise Layne’s Chicken Fingers is building a team to support its rapidly growing system. The team recently welcomed Alex Camp as senior director of operations and Ashley Reynolds as director of marketing. The brand also recently moved into a new office, which accommodates more team members and provides them with the space they need as the brand scales. Layne’s has welcomed several new experts to the family to bolster …
Minneapolis — Target Corporation has named Christina Hennington, currently chief growth officer, as chief strategy and growth officer, and Rick Gomez, currently chief food, essentials and beauty officer, as chief commercial officer, overseeing Target’s merchandising business, both effective July 7. Lisa Roath, Target’s chief marketing officer, will take on the role of chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty in early 2025. The company is initiating an external search for its next chief marketing officer and, until a successor is named, Roath will remain in full capacity as chief …
Boca Raton, Fla. — I Heart Mac & Cheese has hired Angelo Freites as vice president of franchise operations and Rafael Romero as director of marketing. Freites has 40 years of experience in the franchise industry, previously as a franchisee of Wendy’s and Checkers. Romero joins the company from YUM! International (KFC) and Wendy’s International as brand strategist and marketing director across Latin America and the Caribbean. “I am so pleased to have such top industry veterans as Angelo Freites and Rafael Romero join the I Heart team,” says Steve …
Charlotte, N.C. — Bojangles, known for its iconic Southern food, has promoted Nick Swanson as the new vice president of business insights and analytics. In addition to experience with Bojangles, Swanson has a wealth of knowledge in leveraging consumer insights and data-driven decision-making to foster growth among notable brands in retail and consumer packaged goods. Since joining Bojangles in 2019, Swanson has been instrumental in fostering a strong data-driven culture within the company. His efforts have accelerated growth in both existing and new markets by closely partnering with marketing, operations, …
Janesville, Wis. — Blain’s Farm & Fleet® has promoted Mark Hasting to chief executive officer and president. Kim Treece will be promoted to chief stores officer. Jane Blain Gilbertson will take on a new role as executive chair of the board and will remain the sole owner of Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Blain Supply, Inc. The transition will take place over the next several months and will be complete in September. “This succession plan was put into place 4 years ago when we hired Mark to join our company …
Hudson, Ohio — JOANN, the nation’s category leader in fabric and sewing and one of the fastest growing competitors in the arts and crafts industry, has appointed Michael Prendergast, a managing director in Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group, as acting chief executive officer of JOANN. Prendergast is an experienced executive who has helped companies transform successfully and has served as an interim leader for other retailers. Chris DiTullio and Scott Sekella, who served as co-leads of the interim office of the CEO since May 2023 and led JOANN …
Franklin, Tenn. — CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (CKE), parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, has appointed Justin Falciola as chief technology & growth officer for both brands. He joins CKE from Papa Johns. In this new role, Falciola will align business goals with information technology, digital strategy and operations, as well as guide the implementation of new technologies and support the digital evolution of loyalty, first-party and third-party digital channels. “We are excited to welcome Justin to the organization,” says Max Wetzel, CEO of CKE. “As technology continues to …