Leadership

Taco Bell owner Yum Brands is reshuffling its leadership

Joe Park, president of Byte by Yum, is leaving the fast-food chain operator while Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant is getting a promotion as part of a reorganization under new chief executive Chris Turner.
Sean Tresvant
Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant will also be Yum Brands' chief consumer officer. | Photo courtesy of Taco Bell.

Joe Park is leaving Yum Brands and Sean Tresvant is getting a promotion as part of a leadership reorganization under new CEO Chris Turner, the company announced on Tuesday. 

The company also named Ranjith Roy its new CFO. 

Tresvant, CEO of Taco Bell, was given the additional title of chief consumer officer. Tresvant will oversee efforts across each of Yum’s brands to enhance consumer insights, drive brand relevance and increase innovation. Yum owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit, along with Taco Bell. 

Turner, who officially takes over as CEO on Oct. 1, called Tresvant “a talented and visionary business leader.” Taco Bell under Tresvant had generated strong same-store sales despite a brutal consumer environment that has otherwise been unfriendly for fast-food chains.

“His ability to create cultural relevance, fuel growth and connect with consumers in meaningful ways makes him the perfect leader to ensure our iconic brands win the hearts of the future consumer,” Turner said. 

Park, meanwhile, had been chief digital and technology officer and was the initial president of Byte by Yum, the division overseeing technology expansion at the company’s different brands. Park is leaving Yum “to pursue an outside opportunity.” 

He will be replaced by Jim Dausch, global chief digital and technology officer with Pizza Hut. Dausch had been EVP and chief consumer officer with Under Armor before taking the Pizza Hut job.

Turner called Dausch “a seasoned and highly capable business leader with extensive experience in a complex, global, multi-brand franchised organization” and said his leadership “will be instrumental in elevating our digital capabilities.” 

Roy, meanwhile, is stepping into the CFO role soon to be vacated by Turner. Roy joined Yum last year as chief strategy officer and treasurer, overseeing strategy, mergers and acquisitions and treasury operations. Before Yum, Roy was CFO for the online marketplace Goldbelly and had spent 15 years with Goldman Sachs.

Meanwhile, Turner plans to add a “chief scale officer” to the leadership team and has started a search process to find a candidate to fill the role. 

That role will focus on “leveraging Yum’s scale to accelerate franchise returns, maximize unit economics and drive restaurant profitability across the entire enterprise,” the company said. 

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