Name: Trona Balkissoon
New title: Chief financial officer, Golden Corral
Previous title: Senior vice president of finance, Golden Corral
Balkissoon originally joined Golden Corral in April 2025 as a finance executive after a 25-year tenure at Nestlé, where she served in various roles, according to an emailed press release. Her most recent position at Nestlé was CFO of the company’s out-of-home division where she oversaw operations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. She also serves as an executive board member and treasurer for the Women’s Foodservice Forum.
“Since joining [Golden Corral], she has been recognized for her dynamic, agile approach, pairing fiscal discipline with a talent for building high-performing teams,” the company said in the press release.
She succeeds Jim Laverty, who is retiring. Laverty spent more than 40 years at Golden Corral, per his LinkedIn profile. The role shift is effective Thursday, per the press release.
In her new position, Balkissoon will oversee Golden Corral’s financial strategy and focus on optimizing results, improving decision-making and supporting the long-term health of corporate and franchised units, per the press release. She said in a statement that she will focus on ensuring Golden Corral maintains responsible growth, strengthens its franchise system and develops opportunities for its teams.
“[Balkissoon] brings a rare combination of global perspective, financial rigor, and a deep understanding of the foodservice landscape,” Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary said in a statement. “As we continue to evolve, her ability to connect strategy, financial discipline, and execution will shape how we move forward.
Golden Coral has undertaken several major operational changes in the past year. In 2025, it worked with Qu to complete a total tech overhaul after investing little in technology for 15 years. That work resulted in a tech suite with integrated digital systems, including point-of-sale, kitchen display systems and inventory management with forecasting abilities.
The chain also revamped its fast casual spinoff, relaunching it as Golden Corral Favorites last April. The fast casual model is meant to open up additional real estate opportunities for franchisees as it only takes up about 3,500 square feet compared to the roughly 11,000-square-feet required by a traditional Golden Corral.
Golden Corral grew its unit count by about 1% last year, according to Circana’s The 2026 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking. Consumer spending, however, fell 4% at the chain to roughly $1.9 billion. Its average unit volume is estimated at $4.8 million, making it one of the top 10 chains by AUV in Circana’s dataset.
