Franklin, Tenn. — CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (CKE), parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, has named Jason Marker as the company’s new chief executive officer. Most recently president of Kentucky Fried Chicken® U.S. (KFC), Marker has extensive domestic and international QSR experience. He is expected to start as CEO in April.
“Jason has tremendous experience in franchising, in the QSR sector, and in positioning and growing iconic brands,” says Andy Puzder, who has served as CKE’s CEO since 2000. “I expressed my desire to have CKE plan for succession approximately a year ago, and I could not be more pleased to have Jason Marker selected to be the company’s next leader. He is an outstanding executive who will continue to build the Hardees and Carl’s Jr. brands both internationally and domestically.”
As president of KFC U.S., Marker was responsible for the overall strategy and performance of a business with more than $4.2 billion in system sales, 4,200 restaurants and 450 franchisees. Marker launched a new advertising campaign in 2015, invested in operations and partnered with the franchise community to drive profitable growth.
CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (CKE) is a privately held company headquartered in Franklin, Tenn. CKE is not a franchisor and conducts substantially all of its restaurant activities and operations through its subsidiaries. Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC own, operate and franchise the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito® and Red Burrito® concepts. Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s operate as one brand under two names, acknowledging the rich regional heritage of both banners. After opening their first New York and New Jersey restaurants in 2015 and recent international openings in Chile, Cambodia and Kenya, Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC now have over 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 41 foreign countries and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.ckr.com or www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.
SOURCE: CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.