Broomfield, Colo. — Noodles & Company has appointed one of its board members, Drew Madsen, to serve as interim CEO. Concurrently, the board has initiated a search for a new permanent CEO. Madsen’s appointment follows the decision by the board to transition to new leadership, resulting in Dave Boennighausen’s departure as the company’s CEO.
Madsen brings a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry to the role of interim CEO. In his recent operating roles, he was president and chief operating officer at some of the most successful and well-respected businesses in the restaurant industry. Most recently, Madsen was president of Panera Bread. His experience prior to Panera includes 15 years at Darden, where he was president & COO for nearly 10 years.
Madsen has served on the Noodles board since 2017. For nearly 10 years, he was a board member at Darden Restaurants. He previously served as an independent director on the board of Talbots Inc., the specialty retailer of women’s fashion.
“We are very excited to have Drew step into the interim CEO role and remain on our board,” says Jeff Jones, chairman of the board of Noodles & Company. “He is a seasoned executive with a deep understanding of our company’s operations and strategy, and has a successful track record as a leader in the restaurant industry. We have full confidence in his ability to guide the company effectively during this time.”
Since 1995, Noodles & Company has grown to more than 450 restaurants. For more information, visit www.noodles.com.
SOURCE: Noodles & Company