Youngstown, Ohio — Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has appointed Naveen Dasa as chief financial officer, adding a dynamic and accomplished finance executive to its leadership team. Dasa brings more than a decade of experience spanning franchising, restaurant operations and consumer brands — including roles at Shake Shack, BakeMark and Yum! Brands.
He previously spent 10 years with Yum! Brands advancing through finance and strategy roles across Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Yum! Corporate — most notably, Dasa played a key role in designing and implementing Pizza Hut’s systemwide asset upgrade program, helping establish a long term plan to refresh or remodel all 6,000 U.S. restaurants. He also held finance leadership roles at Shake Shack, further deepening his experience in high-growth restaurant brands and company-owned operations. Earlier in his career, Dasa worked in investment banking as an assistant vice president at J.P. Morgan and an analyst at UBS, where he gained transaction and capital markets experience supporting complex corporate financings and strategic deals.
With a background that spans corporate finance, franchise business development, marketing analytics and field finance, Dasa brings a rare combination of strategic vision and operational rigor — positioning Handel’s for disciplined expansion and sustained, long term value creation.
“Naveen’s background at some of the most sophisticated restaurant and franchise organizations in the world makes him a tremendous addition to our leadership team,” says Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Handel’s Ice Cream. “He understands how to support franchisees with data-driven insights while also helping brands modernize systems, store designs and financial processes to fuel sustainable growth. His experience will be invaluable as we continue expanding Handel’s footprint.”
Handel’s Ice Cream has been making and selling ice cream since 1945. Founded in Youngstown, Ohio, the legacy of Handel’s began with Alice Handel. The brand was later purchased by Lenny Fisher, and what started as a single ice cream parlor has now grown into a beloved brand nationwide. Handel’s ice cream is made by hand in small batches at each location. Handel’s currently has over 175 locations across 20 states. For more information, visit www.handelsicecream.com/franchise and www.HandelsIceCream.com.
SOURCE: Handel’s Ice Cream