Name: Juan Carlos “Carl” Loredo
New title: President, Pizza Hut U.S.
Previous title: Global chief marketing officer, Wendy’s
Carl Loredo will join Pizza Hut as its U.S. president on June 3, the company announced Monday. Loredo will fill the vacancy left by David Graves, who departed the brand in March.
Loredo will take charge of the chain as parent company Yum Brands continues its emphasis on digital sales, which surpassed 50% of the company’s sales mix last quarter. Yum recently launched a new consumer data analytics tool, Red 360, at Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
Outside of the digital realm, Pizza Hut has spent the last few quarters increasing the number of its restaurants open until midnight or later, and strengthening its competitive edge in snacking occasions. But the brand’s performance has been weak this year, with a 6% dip in both same-store sales and systemwide sales in the U.S., according to Yum Brands’ Q1 2024 earnings release. The Pizza Hut division’s quarterly revenue fell from $254 million to $238 million year over year.
At Wendy’s, Loredo, per the press release, “was integral in driving results, including growing the digital sales business, launching and scaling new occasions and producing best-in-class marketing and content campaigns.” He spent over eight years with Wendy’s, rising from VP of brand marketing to global chief marketing officer, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Upon starting, Loredo will report to Pizza Hut division CEO Aaron Powell, who filled the Pizza Hut U.S. president’s role on an interim basis following Graves’ departure.
