KFC has appointed Catherine Tan-Gillespie as chief marketing officer and chief development officer for its U.S. business, effective immediately, according to a press release.  The executive replaces Nick Chavez, a former Nintendo marketer who’s acted as chief marketer since 2021.  

Tan-Gillespie, a nine-year company veteran, most recently served as president and general manager of the fried-chicken chain’s Canada division. She will report directly to KFC’s U.S. President Tarun Lal.

Her new roles encompass KFC’s integrated marketing, advertising, public relations, media, consumer insights and digital programs for the fast food brand. In addition, she will spearhead initiatives related to food and product innovation, new restaurant development, redevelopment of older store locations and asset design. 

“Tan-Gillespie is a seasoned leader with a proven record of building brands and delivering compelling marketing initiatives that deliver measurable bottom-line impact,” said Lal in a press statement. “By combining marketing and development roles into one, we are acknowledging the importance of the customer experience in our restaurants to overall brand perception and doubling down on our commitments to getting both right.”

A marketing leadership shuffle comes as KFC tries to break out of a slump and is the latest in a series of executive changes at the brand. KFC saw U.S. same-store sales, an important metric of restaurant health, decline 5% year over year in Q2.  Consumers have peeled back on fast food spending due to price sensitivities while fried chicken — a menu category KFC once dominated — has become ubiquitous in the industry. 

Chavez was an unusual hire for KFC, with a background in the world of video games. However, he jumped to KFC as the brand ramped up efforts to tap into specific pockets of consumer culture, including gamers, and shifted away from a prior messaging strategy that put a heavy focus on mascot Colonel Sanders, played by a rotating cast of celebrities in zany TV ads. KFC in 2021 debuted a video game console that doubled as a vessel for keeping chicken warm. 

KFC’s creative work has been led by agency MullenLowe in the U.S. since 2022. Spark Foundry handles media duties. Recent marketing activations for KFC include a touring food truck that served a new saucy nuggets lineup and a pop-up restaurant centered on “Chizza,” a fried chicken and pizza combination.