to be part of this organization as it’s poised for dynamic growth. Rarely do you encounter a brand with such a rich legacy, seamlessly intertwined with an unprecedented opportunity for new franchisees to expand!”
Marco’s Pizza Marco’s Pizza hired restaurant and hospitality industry veteran John Meyers as its new COO.
Meyers boasts a 25-plus-year history of bringing innovation and collaboration to drive change at industry-leading organizations such as Darden Restaurants and The Walt Disney Company. An action-oriented strategic thinker, Meyers has used data and analytics to strategically streamline restaurant operations and profitability, Marco’s said in a press release. Before his appointment to COO, Meyers served as
Marco’s senior vice president of finance and business intelligence. In his new role, Meyers will oversee a diverse team in several departments including technology, supply chain and operations. With responsibility for day-to-day operations, he also will play a vital role in the development and implementation of new technologies that drive sales and streamline operations. Empowering front-line team members to deliver an exceptional experience is a top priority for Meyers. “When employees see and act on an opportunity to turn someone’s day around, even in little ways, it not only makes the customer experience better, but also improves job satisfaction and employee retention,” Meyers said. “The opportunity to contribute to the Marco’s Pizza legacy during this phase of continued growth is truly a privilege,” Meyers continued. “Our pizza is special using only top-quality ingredients, fresh cheese and dough made-from-scratch. I am committed to upholding this high-quality standard and ensuring our customers enjoy it hot and fresh. Every Marco’s Pizza encounter should be a memorable experience for our customers.”
“John plays an instrumental role in steering our brand
toward sustained growth and we are excited to embark on the next phase of his journey as COO,” said Tony Libardi, co-CEO and president of Marco’s Pizza. “John consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership, strategic vision and a deep commitment to our brand values, and this promotion is a testament to his hard work and invaluable contributions to our company’s success. I am confident that he will excel in this new role, leveraging his experience and insights to drive operational excellence and elevate our brand to new heights.”
Small Sliders
Smalls Sliders, a quick-service restaurant chain specializing in cooked-to-order cheeseburgers, has appointed 30-year industry veteran Donald Crocker as its new chief development officer. In his new role, Crocker will spearhead all development strategies including identifying opportunities for expansion, partnership and enhanced market penetration as the brand is focused on disciplined growth, the company said.
Most recently, Crocker served as the chief development
officer for Inspire Brands, where he led the development strategy for new company and franchise openings, capital reinvestment and real property assets for the company, which has more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide. Before that, Crocker spent nearly 20 years at Chick-fil-A, where he pioneered the brand’s explosive nationwide growth into more than 65 new markets.
“I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the most
high-profile, exciting brands this industry has to offer, so I can recognize a brand built for global growth when I see it,” Crocker said. “With how crowded the restaurant space has become in recent years, it’s rare to see a brand really break through the way that Smalls Sliders has in such a short amount of time. I’m eager to truly bring Smalls Sliders and its distinctive product to more communities across our national footprint.”
“I am excited to have Don join our growing executive leadership team,” CEO Maria Rivera said. “His experience, insights and leadership will be invaluable assets as we progress our vision, mission, and purpose. As we move toward our vision to shake up the big burger industry, no one is more prepared to support our growth in the QSR space than Don.”
Restaurant Brands International Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs, appointed Sami Siddiqui as chief financial officer. He succeeded Matt Gunnigan, who left the company. Siddiqui has been with RBI for 11 years, including eight as
brand president for Popeyes in Miami, Tim Horton in Toronto and RBI’s brands in the Asia Pacific region. He has also served as brand CFO for Tim Horton and Burger King. Additionally, Jeff Klein was chosen as the new president of Popeyes U.S. and Canada and Thiago Santelmo was named president of international. Klein joined the Popeyes leadership team two years ago as chief marketing officer and brings 25 years of experience in marketing and consumer insights to the role. He was previously the chief marketing officer for Little Caesars Pizza and spent 15 years at PepsiCo in senior marketing positions.
Santelmo joined RBI 11 years ago with a focus on growth in Latin American. He has helped lead the company’s growth in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, where he served as president for the past two years. “Sami, Thiago and Jeff are proven, valuable leaders in the company and I’m looking forward to working with them as we deliver on our next phase of growth,” CEO Josh Kobza said. “Sami has deep finance and operational experience which makes him a great partner to our presidents as we deliver on our growth plans across the company. Thiago has spent his career building master franchisee relationships and working closely with them to develop new markets. This will serve him well as we accelerate net restaurant growth internationally in the coming years. Jeff has two decades of marketing and
Summer 2024 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
