Dive Brief:
- Wendy's continued its spree of leadership changes Monday, appointing John Min to serve as its chief legal officer and secretary and Mary Greenlee as its senior vice president of U.S. operations.
- Wendy’s has made significant changes to its leadership this year, including hiring Kirk Tanner as CEO and Tatiana Lambert as its U.S. development chief in January. The brand also promoted Abigail Pringle to U.S. president and shifted E.J. Wunsch from chief legal officer to international president.
- The appointments are part of an effort to improve executive accountability and speed up growth, the company said.
Dive Insight:
The new executives bring significant leadership experience to Wendy's. Greenlee, who most recently was an operations leader for Subway, will oversee operations at both its company-owned and franchised locations, support the brand's strategic growth initiatives, including changes to its restaurant economic model, and its U.S. growth strategy, the company said.
Min made the jump to Wendy’s from Kellanova, where he was chief legal officer following Kellogg’s decision to split up its snack and cereal businesses.
Min will have responsibility for “guiding Wendy's legal strategy and operations, as well as managing global risk and compliance functions,” the company said.
Wendy’s hasn’t suffered as badly as some of its competitors from consumer pullback — the chain’s same-store sales were positive in the U.S. last quarter — but it still saw a net 17 closures in the first six months of 2024, according to its latest earnings release. The renewed executive focus on U.S. growth could help the company capitalize on the sales success it’s seen thanks to its investments in its loyalty program.
