people

Goodlettsville, Tenn. — Dollar General Corporation’s CEO, Todd Vasos, has decided to retire from his position on November 1, 2022. Additionally, the company’s board of directors approved the promotion of Jeffery Owen (pictured), its chief operating officer since 2019, to succeed Vasos as CEO effective immediately following Vasos’s retirement from the CEO role. To assist in the transition of leadership, Vasos is expected to serve in a senior advisory position beginning November 1, 2022, and continuing through April 1, 2023, at which time Vasos will retire from employment with the …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Dallas — Smoothie King has appointed Chris Bremer as its new chief development officer. He will be responsible for implementing strategies to meet Smoothie King’s ongoing expansion plans and overseeing the franchise development, real estate, design and construction departments. He joins Smoothie King from Nothing Bundt Cakes. “We are thrilled to welcome Chris Bremer to our executive leadership team,” says Wan Kim, CEO of Smoothie King. “Chris is an exemplary, purposeful leader, possessing a passion for leading teams in the food & beverage and hospitality industries and will undoubtedly make …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Chicago — On July 13, McDonald’s has expanded its global senior leadership team. According to CEO Chris Kempczinski, Jill McDonald will be returning to McDonald’s as executive vice president and president, IOM, overseeing the company’s five largest wholly-owned international markets and its IOM Business Unit, consisting of its remaining wholly-owned international markets. McDonald formerly served McDonald’s as chief marketing officer for its UK business and Northern Europe, and later became the managing director for its UK business and president, Northern Europe. In her tenure, she sustained strong performance across all …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

San Francisco — Gap Inc.’s president and chief executive officer, Sonia Syngal, will step down from her position and from the company’s board, departing the company following a brief transition. In other executive leadership news, Horacio (“Haio”) Barbeito will serve as president and CEO of Old Navy. Effective immediately, Bob Martin, the company’s current executive chairman of the board, will serve as Gap Inc. president and CEO on an interim basis. Mayo Shattuck will continue to serve as lead independent director. “Leading this great company since 2020, through unprecedented challenges …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has promoted Laura Crossen to senior vice president of finance and chief accounting officer, and Susie A. Kim to senior vice president of treasury and investor relations, effective immediately. Crossen has been with Bed Bath & Beyond since 2001 and most recently served as senior vice president, treasury, tax and finance transformation. She will continue to report to Gustavo Arnal, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and replaces John Barresi, who resigned from the company on June 10 to pursue another …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Downers Grove, Ill. — Liz Zolcak has been named the new president of Fresh Thyme Market, succeeding Gerald Melville, who has announced his retirement after a 43-year retail career. “I am thrilled and humbled to take on this exciting new challenge and to be trusted to lead such an incredible team,” Zolcak says. “Gerald and I have been able to accomplish significant wins with the team during our time working together, and I’m looking forward to even more successes ahead.” Zolcak has 17 years of retail leadership experience and joined …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has made significant changes to its senior leadership to focus on reversing recent results, addressing supply chain and inventory, and strengthening its balance sheet. Sue Gove, an independent director on the company’s board of directors and chair of the board’s Strategy Committee, has been named interim chief executive officer, replacing Mark Tritton, who has left his role as president and chief executive officer and as a member of the board. “After thorough consideration, the board determined that it was time for a …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Greenwood Village, Colo. — Paul Murphy, president and chief executive officer of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., has informed the company’s board of directors that he intends to retire at the end of 2022 when his employment agreement expires. Murphy will be assisting the board as they search to identify a successor and will remain as a special advisor until March 31, 2023 to work with the board and his successor to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. Murphy is an experienced veteran of the restaurant industry having begun his …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

New York City — As part of an aggressive expansion plan for North America, German Doner Kebab USA (GDK USA) has hired Robert Bray (pictured) as operations director and Mark Treptow as director of franchise development, along with recent hires Georgina Cavendish, chief financial officer, and Darren Cooke as marketing director. GDK was founded in 1989. Reporting to Nigel Belton, GDK North America’s managing director, Bray has more than 20 years of operations experience with YUM! Brands and was most recently senior regional franchise director at Church’s Chicken. Treptow has …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Hartland, Wis. — Batteries Plus has hired Hugh Robertson as director of exit strategy support. In his new role, Robertson will educate, advise and assist Batteries Plus franchisees with their exit strategies — offering full support for owners from the time of purchase to the date of successful sale. Having spent more than 25 years in the franchising industry, Robertson joins the team with a breadth of experience including expertise in small to medium size business transfer, franchise consulting and franchise operations. In the short term, Robertson will be focused …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail