YUM! BRANDS YUM Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) announced today that David Gibbs will be promoted to Global Pizza Hut Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2015. Gibbs, 51, who currently serves as President, Pizza Hut, U.S., will take over for Scott Bergren who is retiring at the end of 2014.
In his new role, Gibbs will assume responsibility for driving the brand strategy and performance of Pizza Hut globally. The Company is the pizza category leader worldwide, with over 13,000 restaurants (outside of China and India, which are separate reporting divisions), 94% of which are franchised. Annual system sales for the division exceed $10 billion.
“David Gibbs is an accomplished leader with a proven track record of success and considerable experience in the restaurant industry. He has been a consistent growth driver, has a deep passion for the Pizza Hut brand and lives our culture. Greg Creed, who takes over as CEO of YUM Brands in January, and I are both confident David will lead Pizza Hut to the next level and widen its gap as the category leader all around the world,” said David C. Novak, Chairman and CEO, YUM Brands Inc. Gibbs will report directly to Creed as of January 1, 2015.
Prior to serving as President, Pizza Hut, U.S., Gibbs was the President and Chief Financial Officer for YUM Brands International, leading the Finance, IT, Supply Chain and Development functions for the division as well as having general management responsibility for several international markets. His career at YUM, which began in 1989, includes roles as Chief Financial Officer of Pizza Hut as well as Vice President of Development for YUM U.S.
“I’m thrilled about continuing to work alongside my entire management team, as well as with our franchise and corporate partners, to move our brand forward all over the world,” Gibbs said. “This is a beloved brand with millions of fans and I couldn’t be more excited about where we’re headed.”
As part of his global responsibilities, Gibbs will retain direct leadership of Pizza Hut in the U.S., while, Tracy Skeans, 41, is being promoted to President, Pizza Hut International, reporting to Gibbs. Most recently, Skeans served as Chief People Officer Pizza Hut, Global. She has 14 years with YUM and Pizza Hut in a number of Finance and Human Resources leadership roles. In her new position, Skeans will focus on ensuring a clear path to grow Pizza Hut outside the U.S.
“Tracy is an incredible, well-rounded leader who was the ideal fit for this position,” said Gibbs. “Her knowledge of our system, our markets and what it takes to win around the world sets us up for huge growth opportunities.”
Scott Bergren has been with YUM, KFC and Pizza Hut for more than 20 years, including serving as Chief Marketing Officer of KFC, U.S., international leadership assignments in Central America and Mexico, and more recently serving as CEO of Pizza Hut, U.S. and CEO of Pizza Hut, Global.
“Scott has added tremendous value, with too many accomplishments to mention, in every one of his assignments in our company,” said Novak. “There has never been a challenge too tough for Scott and there is no one in our company who has a better capacity to think big, challenge the status quo and drive innovative breakthrough solutions. He has also done an outstanding job identifying and developing excellent talent, constantly upgrading our industry leading people capability. I wish him and wife, Bama, only the best in the next chapter of their lives.”
About Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), is the world’s largest pizza company with $12 billion in global sales and more than 15,000 restaurants in 93 countries worldwide. In 2014, Pizza Hut was named the Harris Poll Equitrend® Pizza Brand of the Year and received the top score in Customer Satisfaction among limited-service restaurant chains from the American Customer Satisfaction Index® (ACSI). Pizza Hut began 56 years ago in Wichita, Kan., and is the proprietor of the BOOK IT!® Program, the longest-running, corporate-supported children’s literacy program in America.
Twitter: @Pizzahut
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About Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 40,000 restaurants in more than 125 countries and territories. Yum! is ranked #216 on the Fortune 500 List with revenues of over $13 billion and in 2014 was named among the top 100 Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. The Company’s restaurant brands - KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened over five new restaurants per day, making it a leader in international retail development.
