Jack in the Box has appointed Katelyn Zborowski as chief marketing officer, effective immediately, according to a press release. Zborowski joins the fast food chain from Yum Brands, the owner of KFC and Taco Bell, where she spent over a decade and most recently served as head of brand strategy and integrated marketing at Pizza Hut. Ryan Ostrom, Jack in the Box’s last CMO, was promoted to chief customer and digital officer in late 2024.
In her new role, Zborowski will focus on strengthening product innovation and loyalty while delivering profitable value for Jack in the Box, the release said. During her prior stint at Taco Bell, the executive was credited with developing more than 40 limited-time offerings that helped to drive sales.
“Katelyn’s proven ability to translate deep consumer insights into relevant marketing that drives traffic and builds lasting brand connection will be pivotal to driving sustainable, long-term growth,” said Jack in the Box CEO Lance Tucker in a statement around the hire.
Jack in the Box’s marketing has frequently leaned into interest areas like gaming and stoner culture to grow appeal with younger consumers. The brand and agency partner TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles last year launched a “So Munch More” creative platform that inserts the brand — and occasionally its mascot, Jack Box — into popular digital content like YouTube’s “Hot Ones” and the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
Zborowski is departing Yum as the company explores strategic options for Pizza Hut, including a potential sale, following a protracted sales slump. Pizza Hut plans to shutter 250 U.S. stores, or roughly 4% of its footprint in the country, in the first half of this year.
Jack in the Box is encountering its own headwinds in an overall tough environment for QSRs, which are contending with highly price-sensitive consumers and increased competition from the casual dine-in set. Same-store sales, an important measure of restaurant health, dropped 6.7% year over year at Jack in the Box for the fiscal quarter ended Jan. 18. The brand aims to close between 50 and 100 stores within its fiscal 2026 year, Restaurant Dive previously reported.
Jack in the Box is enacting cosmetic upgrades, such as fresh paint jobs, to improve the appeal of its restaurants, and trying to sharpen the impact of its marketing campaigns, per its last quarterly earnings report. It completed a sale of Mexican dining brand Del Taco for $115 million last October as part of a larger Jack on Track turnaround plan.
