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A&W Restaurants Names New VP of Franchise Development and Design

by Katie Lee

Lexington, Ky. — A&W Restaurants has named Meredeth Jones as vice president of franchise development and design. Bringing more than15 years of experience in franchising, Jones will play a key role in advancing the growth and expansion of the 105-year-old brand. “When growing our A&W family, we look for people who love and know our brand, are passionate about franchising and dedicated to supporting our franchisees’ success, and for us, that person is Meredeth,” says Kevin Bazner, CEO of A&W Restaurants. “As the food-service industry continues to evolve, entrepreneurial opportunities …

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Newspeoplerestaurants

Yum! Brands Promotes Taco Bell President to CEO of KFC Division

by Katie Lee

Louisville, Ky. — Yum! Brands, Inc. has promoted Scott Mezvinsky to KFC division chief executive officer, reporting to Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs, effective March 1, 2025. Mezvinsky, a 20-year veteran of the company who currently serves as president of Taco Bell North America and international, will succeed Sabir Sami, who is stepping down as KFC CEO at the end of February. Mezvinsky will assume global responsibility for driving the brand strategy and performance of KFC. “Scott is one of Yum! Brands’ most respected leaders, with more than 20 years …

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construction and designmanagementNewspeoplesoftware/technologyvendors

Apex Imaging Services Builds on World Class Team, Hires Bureau Veritas Executive

by Katie Lee

Pomona, Calif. — Apex Imaging Services welcomes former Target and Bureau Veritas executive Blake Brosa to its leadership team. He joins Apex with nearly 20 years of AEC management and business development leadership experience. Previously, Brosa spent 6 years with Target Corporation in various property development roles and the last decade with Bureau Veritas, where he oversaw sales, marketing, strategy and client experience. “Retailers are seeking single-source solutions and partners that can truly deliver at scale,” says Brosa. “I was immediately impressed by Apex’s differentiated self-perform capabilities, investment in its …

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Newspeopleretailers

Target Makes Several Changes and Promotions Across Leadership Team

by Katie Lee

Minneapolis — Target Corporation has made a number of changes across its leadership team to position Target for success in 2025 and beyond. Mark Schindele, executive vice president and chief stores officer, will be retiring after 25 years with Target. Adrienne Costanzo, senior vice president, store operations, will be Target’s next chief stores officer. Since joining the company in 1999, Schindele has served in multiple roles spanning merchandising and operations. Over the past 5 years as chief stores officer, he led the stores organization through the pandemic and during the …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

GoTo Foods Names New Chief Brand Officer of Cinnabon

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — GoTo Foods, parent company of the Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, McAlister’s Deli®, Moe’s Southwest Grill® and Schlotzsky’s® brands, has appointed Urvi Patel as the chief brand officer of Cinnabon. As chief brand officer, Patel will be responsible for providing executive-level guidance on brand strategy, managing marketing efforts and developing key operational strategies to drive financial growth and ensure franchise success for the brand. “Urvi’s appointment as Cinnabon’s new chief brand officer presents significant opportunities for the iconic brand,” says Shelly Harris, chief operating officer at GoTo Foods. …

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franchise developmentNewspeoplerestaurants

Krispy Krunchy Chicken Names Chief Financial Officer

by Katie Lee

Atlanta — Krispy Krunchy Chicken®, one of the fastest-growing hot food concepts in the convenience store business with over 3,200 locations, has appointed Jim Zielke as its chief financial officer. Zielke will report to CEO Jim Norberg. Zielke most recently served as the chief financial officer for the Peruvian-inspired restaurant brand Viva Chicken Holdings, LLC, where he oversaw finance, human resources, legal and IT departments for the company. He brings over 30 years of experience in the industry. “Jim has a wealth of knowledge and experience from the chicken and …

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La Madeleine Appoints New President

by Katie Lee

Dallas — La Madeleine, a beloved, French-founded neighborhood café and bakery, has appointed seasoned restaurant and franchise industry executive John Dillon as its new president, further strengthening its next-level growth leadership and aggressive expansion plans under Groupe Le Duff. Dillon most recently served as founder and principal lead at HMS Growth Partners, an advisory firm supporting leaders and companies across diverse industries, including restaurants, hospitality, retail, education and franchising. Prior to HMS, he spent over 16 years at Denny’s, where he held a succession of senior leadership roles, including EVP …

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RumbleOn, Inc. Names Leadership Changes, Including CEO and COO

by Katie Lee

  Irving, Texas — RumbleOn, Inc., the largest powersports retailer in North America, has made the following leadership changes, effective as of Jan.13, 2025: Michael Quartieri, chairman of the board of directors, has been appointed chief executive officer; Cameron Tkach, vice president of dealership operations, has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of the company; Becca Polak, chair of the compensation committee of the board of directors, has been named vice chairman and lead independent director; and Michael Kennedy is no longer CEO or a member …

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NewspeopleProduct Spotlightretailerssoftware/technologyvendors

Rack Room Shoes Improves Store Operations with Zebra Technologies Workcloud Software

by Katie Lee

Lincolnshire, Ill. — Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global leader in digitizing and automating frontline workflows, has helped Rack Room Shoes to operate with greater efficiency, leveraging Zebra’s Workcloud Task Management software and mobile computing solutions. For a century, Rack Room Shoes, with more than 500 stores across 36 states, has been committed to offering high-quality, brand-name footwear at competitive prices while ensuring exceptional customer service. To maintain its commitment, the retailer needed to streamline its operations and overcome communication bottlenecks so its store associates could be more productive and accelerate …

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Tandy Leather Factory Appoints New CEO

by Katie Lee

Fort Worth, Texas — Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. has appointed Johan Hedberg as its new chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors, effective Jan. 6. Hedberg will replace Janet Carr, who will remain with the company for transition through March 2025. Hedberg brings more than 30 years of wholesale and retail leadership experience, most recently as chief sales officer and president, Americas, of Fiskars Group, after serving as senior vice president of global sales and then global chief sales officer. “We are extremely grateful to Janet …

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