Explore CEO profiles for America’s favorite restaurant chains — Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Subway, KFC, Wendy’s, Papa John’s, and more. Each profile covers salary, net worth, career history, and quick-service leadership.
Yum! Brands
Subway
Wendy’s
Krispy Kreme
Whataburger
Smoothie King
Chick-fil-A
Jersey Mike’s
Firehouse Subs
Panera Bread
Chipotle
Papa John’s
Restaurant Brands International
KFC
Updated February 2026 · 14 CEO profiles
| # | CEO | Company | Age | Net Worth | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Truett Cathy | Chick-fil-A | 45 | $1–5 billion (private company; Cathy family net worth ~$11B each) | — |
| 2 | Wan Kim | Smoothie King | 50 | $45–65 million | — |
| 3 | Kirk Tanner | Wendy\'s | 56 | $30–50 million | — |
| 4 | Charlie Morrison | Jersey Mike's | 60 | $30–50 million (est., from Wingstop tenure) | — |
| 5 | Josh Kobza | Restaurant Brands International | 40 | $20–40 million (equity-based) | — |
| 6 | Todd Penegor | Papa John\'s | 60 | $15–30 million | — |
| 7 | Chris Turner | Yum! Brands | 52 | $15–25 million (equity-based) | — |
| 8 | Scott Boatwright | Chipotle | 52 | $15–25 million (equity-based) | — |
| 9 | Josh Charlesworth | Krispy Kreme | 51 | $10–20 million (equity-based) | — |
Update: Mark King retired as Taco Bell CEO effective January 1, 2024, after a planned succession. The current Taco Bell CEO is Sean Tresvant, who also serves as Yum! Brands Chief Consumer Officer since October 2025. Taco Bell, one of America’s most beloved quick-service restaurant brands and a subsidiary of Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), was […]
Pizza Hut, one of the world’s most recognized pizza restaurant brands, was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by brothers Dan and Frank Carney. Today, Pizza Hut CEO Aaron Powell leads the brand’s global operations spanning over 19,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Appointed as Division CEO in September 2021, Powell brought extensive international […]
Yum! Brands, Inc. is the world’s largest restaurant company by number of locations, operating more than 61,000 restaurants across KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill in over 155 countries and territories. Yum! Brands CEO Chris Turner took the helm on October 1, 2025, succeeding David Gibbs who retired after a 37-year […]
Whataburger, the iconic Texas-born fast-food chain founded in 1950, is led by President & CEO Debbie Stroud. Stroud became CEO on January 1, 2025, succeeding Ed Nelson who retired after 20 years with the company. A veteran restaurant executive with more than 30 years of industry experience, Stroud previously served as Whataburger’s EVP and COO, […]
Important Update: Kirk Tanner stepped down as President & CEO of The Wendy’s Company on July 18, 2025, to become President & CEO of The Hershey Company. Ken Cook, Wendy’s Chief Financial Officer, was appointed Interim CEO while the Board conducts a search for a permanent successor. Kirk Tanner served as President & CEO of […]
Josh Kobza is the CEO of Restaurant Brands International (NYSE: QSR / TSX: QSR), the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Firehouse Subs. Appointed CEO on March 1, 2023, at just 36 years old, Kobza became one of the youngest CEOs in the global quick-service restaurant industry. A Harvard-educated economist […]
Todd Penegor is the President & CEO of Papa John’s International (Nasdaq: PZZA), appointed in August 2024. A seasoned QSR executive, Penegor previously served as President & CEO of The Wendy’s Company from 2016 to 2024, where he launched Wendy’s breakfast nationally and grew the chain to the #2 burger position in the U.S. He […]
Panera Bread, the pioneering fast-casual bakery-cafe chain founded in 1981, operates more than 2,200 locations across the United States and Canada. Today, Panera Bread CEO Paul Carbone leads Panera Brands, the umbrella company that also includes Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels, totaling over 3,700 locations. Carbone was named permanent CEO in March 2025 after […]
Josh Charlesworth is the CEO of Krispy Kreme (Nasdaq: DNUT), the iconic global doughnut company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlesworth became CEO on January 1, 2024, after rising through the company from CFO (2017) to COO (2019) to Global President (2022). A British executive and chartered management accountant, he previously served as Global CFO […]
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), one of the world’s largest and most recognizable fast-food restaurant chains, is a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). KFC CEO Scott Mezvinsky was promoted to Division Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2025, succeeding Sabir Sami who stepped down after a distinguished 36-year career. A 20-year Yum! Brands veteran […]
Jersey Mike’s Subs, one of America’s fastest-growing sandwich franchise chains, was founded in 1956 as Mike’s Subs in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Today, Jersey Mike’s CEO Charlie Morrison leads the company’s $4.2 billion business and a rapidly expanding network of over 3,250 locations across the United States and Canada. Appointed CEO on April 28, 2025, […]
Mike Hancock is the President of Firehouse Subs, the Jacksonville-based sandwich chain owned by Restaurant Brands International (RBI). Appointed President in March 2023, Hancock succeeded longtime CEO Don Fox who retired after growing the chain from roughly 400 to over 1,200 locations. A former college football defensive end at Florida Atlantic University and MIT Sloan […]
Scott Boatwright is the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, the largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain in the world. Boatwright was named permanent CEO on November 11, 2024, after serving as Interim CEO since August 2024 following Brian Niccol’s departure to Starbucks. A career restaurant operations executive, Boatwright started his food-service journey at age 15 washing […]
Leadership Update: Yum! Brands David Gibbs retired as Yum! Brands CEO on October 1, 2025, after a 36-year career with the company. He oversaw more than 60,000 restaurants across KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill. Chris Turner, former CFO and Chief Franchise Officer, succeeded him as CEO on October 1, 2025. […]
Leadership Update: John Chidsey retired as Subway CEO on December 31, 2024, after leading the chain for five years and overseeing its $9.6 billion sale to Roark Capital. Carrie Walsh (former EMEA President and Global CMO) is serving as interim CEO while a permanent successor search is underway. Chidsey was appointed President & CEO of […]
Leadership Update Todd Penegor served as President & CEO of The Wendy’s Company from May 2016 to February 2024. He stepped down and was succeeded by Kirk Tanner (who later departed in July 2025 for The Hershey Company). Ken Cook currently serves as Wendy’s Interim CEO. In August 2024, Penegor was appointed President & CEO […]
Leadership Update: Michael Tattersfield stepped down as Krispy Kreme CEO on January 1, 2024, after nearly seven years leading the company. He oversaw the 2021 IPO and grew revenue from approximately $550 million to over $1.6 billion. Josh Charlesworth, who previously served as CFO, COO, and Global President, has been CEO since January 2024. Read […]
Leadership Update: Whataburger Ed Nelson retired as Whataburger CEO on December 31, 2024, after a 20-year career with the company. Debbie Stroud, former COO and a 30-year restaurant industry veteran (Starbucks, McDonald’s), became President & CEO on January 1, 2025. Read about current Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud → Ed Nelson served as President and CEO […]
Wan Kim – CEO & Chairman of Smoothie King Wan Kim is the CEO & Chairman of Smoothie King, the Dallas-based health and fitness smoothie franchise with over 1,200 locations nationwide. Born in South Korea, Kim first discovered Smoothie King as a customer, became its first-ever international franchisee in 2003, and ultimately acquired the entire […]
Andrew Truett Cathy – Chairman & CEO of Chick-fil-A, Inc. Andrew Truett Cathy is the Chairman & CEO of Chick-fil-A, Inc., the largest chicken restaurant chain in the United States. Named after his grandfather and company founder S. Truett Cathy, Andrew became the third CEO in the company’s history on November 1, 2021. Under his […]