Name: Catherine Tan-Gillespie
New title: President, KFC U.S.
Previous title: Chief marketing officer and chief development officer, KFC U.S.
Tan-Gillespie will succeed Tarun Lal as president of KFC’s U.S. division on April 1, according to a press release issued by the chicken chain on Thursday. She has been with the brand since 2015, when she joined as CMO for KFC’s South Pacific region before later serving as KFC Global CMO.
Last year, Tan-Gillespie succeeded Nick Chavez as U.S. CMO and chief development officer as the brand began efforts to speed up its turnaround. In that role, Tan-Gillespie was responsible for the chain’s integrated marketing, advertising, public relations, media, consumer insights and digital touchpoints.
Prior to that, she was the president and general manager of KFC’s Canadian operations, where she “transformed the business and rebuilt the KFC brand through accelerating restaurant upgrades, enhancing digital ordering, offering compelling value deals and launching award-winning advertising,” according to the press release.
In her new role, Tan-Gillespie will report to Scott Mezvinsky, who was appointed CEO of the chicken chain effective March 1. Lal has served as U.S. president since 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. He will retire after working at KFC for more than 30 years, according to the release.
KFC U.S. has struggled relative to other chicken brands in recent years, with same-store sales falling 5% year over year in both Q4 and the whole of 2024, according to Yum’s most recent earnings report.
The chain began testing a new concept, called Saucy by KFC, with a menu anchored by chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches, sauces and premium beverages in Florida late last year, Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said on the company’s Q4 earnings call.
“Early engagement has been promising, reinforcing our belief in Saucy's potential to drive sales and enhance brand relevance,” Gibbs said.
The secondary brand may prove important to reviving KFC’s flagging U.S. fortunes. Chicken tenders and sandwiches have been important in the growth of competitors like Raising Cane’s and Dave’s Hot Chicken, while Gen Z’s interest in premium beverages like teas, freezes and refreshes has prompted major chains like McDonald’s and Jollibee to invest in new beverage platforms.
The chain will announce updates about the U.S. CMO and CDO positions at a later date, according to the press release
