application, data, and digital environments. He was most recently a senior vice president and CIO at MGM Resorts International.
“While well-positioned in the industry, the Capriotti’s and Wing Zone brands are in the infancy of their technological advancement,” Wessel said. “In this role, I’m hoping to create a roadmap from scratch that will guide the adoption of cutting-edge tech and practices capable of keeping the company at the forefront of the QSR sector.”
Chuck E. Cheese
CEC Entertainment has appointed marketing veteran Sean Gleason to the position of chief marketing officer for the company’s flagship brand, Chuck E. Cheese, and its virtual kitchen brands, including Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings. Gleason is a marketing leader with expertise in brand development, digital media, menu innovation, and in leading high-performance teams to deliver transformational growth throughout his career. “I am thrilled to have Sean join CEC Entertainment to lead the marketing strategy for the world’s largest family entertainment center brand, Chuck E Cheese,” said David McKillips, president and CEO of CEC Entertainment. “His proven leadership, expertise and success across the restaurant and family entertainment business is a perfect complement to the most aggressive brand transformation in the company’s history.”
Gleason will lead all marketing functions, menu innovation, guest insights, communications, as well as the brand’s digital marketing and consumer journey initiatives. He will be responsible for developing and executing strategies that position Chuck E. Cheese for long-term growth, both domestically and internationally.
“Chuck E. Cheese is a multi-generational iconic brand and I am truly honored to have the opportunity to join the amazing team and lead the brand for the next generation of fans,” Gleason said. “The Chuck E. Cheese brand potential is unlimited. I look forward to working with the entire CEC Entertainment team and franchise community to build and accelerate the brand’s momentum in the years to come.”
Church’s Texas Chicken Church’s Texas Chicken hired Roland Gonzalez as U.S. COO. Gonzalez, who has held various senior executive roles in the quick-service industry, brings a wealth of experience in franchising, operations, profit and loss management, global business strategies and process improvement. In his new role, Gonzalez will focus on collaboratively driving
core business metrics for Church’s Texas Chicken, achieving strong operational results and growth for the iconic brand. “I’m thrilled to join this team of strategic, hard-working industry leaders and team members. I look forward to a strong partnership with our incredible franchisees to further drive profitability, growth and exceptional service for our guests,” Gonzalez said. In his previous roles — including executive vice president, operations at Virtual Dining Concepts and head of global operations standards and strategy at Restaurant Brands
International — Gonzalez has established himself as an innovative and results-driven senior executive. Managing and overseeing large teams of executives, he successfully led many global business initiatives and strategy for Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes.
“Roland is an exceptional leader who understands all aspects of the industry and is joining us with critical skills gleaned from his past roles,” CEO Joe Guith said. “We look forward to working with Roland, whose experience and knowledge will be a great asset to our team and the brand as a whole.”
Dine Brands
Dine Brands Global, the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop restaurants, announced that Sarah Cannon-Foster will be the company’s new chief people officer. Cannon-Foster was previously vice president, human resources, U.S. healthcare at Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Cannon-Foster is a veteran human resources leader with over 30 years of experience. Prior to Walgreens, she spent 30 years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, now Marriott International. There, she led HR direction for more than 16,000 associates in 57 hotels in the western United States, and co- created Starwood’s breakthrough development program with a focus on developing women and people of color into key general manager and executive committee roles. “Sarah’s extensive experience and success in leading human
resources functions, particularly across the hospitality and services industries, makes her a key asset on our leadership team,” Dine Brands CEO John Peyton stated. “We all look forward to working with and learning from Sarah in the months to come.”
In this new role, Cannon-Foster’s primary objective is tapping into and unlocking the full potential of Dine Brands talent. In the first 100 days, she will focus on understanding the fabric of the brands, collaborating with leadership and, ultimately, identifying areas where the team can grow and develop its talent. Cannon- Foster will also prioritize establishing relationships across Dine Brands teams, franchisees, and restaurant teams, to identify how and where HR can best partner, drive impact, and help accelerate the company’s overall goals.
“It is a privilege to join Dine Brands Global as its new chief
people officer, a company whose restaurants I have long enjoyed,” Cannon-Foster said. “Dine sits at a pivotal juncture filled with tremendous possibilities and growth, and I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with our talented team members.”
Inspire Brands Inspire Brands, the parent company of franchises such as Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ and Jimmy John’s, promoted three individuals into senior leadership positions. Stephanie Sentell was named senior vice president,
Arby’s company operations. In her role, Sentell will oversee the operations of more than 1,100 company-owned Arby’s restaurants across the United States. In her previous role, Sentell guided Inspire’s drive toward incredible restaurant innovations
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