Taking Yum! to New Heights

With Greg’s announcement today of his plan to retire at the end of the year, I want to take this opportunity to thank him for all he has done for Yum! during his 25-year career and for being a great mentor and friend. The partnership we’ve had these last few years has been truly special, and I can’t thank him enough for championing me to succeed him as CEO of Yum!. 

After 30 years in the company, I have learned my growth as a leader is the direct result of the support and coaching I have received from my colleagues. For me, this started with our co-founder, David Novak, who established the people-first culture we have today and who believed in my potential as a leader. Working in a positive and collaborative culture like Yum!’s has enabled me to develop both personally and professionally. For this, I am forever grateful. I love our business, growing brands and helping people unlock their potential. Taking on the role of CEO is a dream job, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities ahead. 

We have three of the world’s most iconic brands, great franchisees and strong talent and culture! As we look to the future, we’ll stay focused on the strengths that set us apart and find new ways to leverage our scale and accelerate our growth as the world’s largest restaurant company. 

As we move forward, we will continue elevating and investing in a world-class customer experience. We want every market to win with unrivaled talent, the best operations, modern assets and innovative technology. This effort is only achievable through a strong partnership with our 2,000+ franchisees who run 98% of our restaurants globally and employ more than 1.5 million restaurant team members. We will also improve how restaurant employees are supported to deliver the customer experience and grow their potential as leaders. When we are at our best, we'll grow as a company, make a positive impact on the lives of people working for our brands and deliver winning unit economics and sustainable competitive advantage for our franchisees . 

I couldn’t be more excited about the world of opportunities we have in front of us and the future of Yum!. I am energized by the passion our employees and customers have for each of our great brands and look forward to our journey together.