US- Fast food chain KFC US has appointed Catherine Tan-Gillespie as its new Chief Developmental Officer (CDO) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).
According to KFC US, the appointment takes effect immediately. She will report to the President of KFC US, Tarun Lal.
Tan-Gillespie replaces Nick Chavez, who has acted as CMO since 2021.
In her new role, Tan-Gillespie will develop and implement marketing strategies meant to stimulate growth across the US.
Her specific roles include oversight of all integrated marketing, advertising, public relations, media and consumer insights, as well as the brand’s digital initiatives.
As CDO, Catherine will oversee food innovation and commercialization. She is expected to align new product innovation across the chain, oversee new restaurant development, redevelop existing restaurants and asset design for the US.
The new CMO joins KFC US from KFC Canada, where she has held the general manager and president role since 2022.
During her tenure, she transformed accelerated restaurant upgrades and advanced digital ordering capabilities, created compelling value offers, and oversaw the creation of award-winning ad campaigns.
Catherine’s has worked for KFC for close to a decade and previously served as CMO for the South Pacific region and a previous stint as global CMO.
The new US CMO has served in various marketing roles in the food sector. She has worked for Frito-Lay, Dairy farmers and Goodman Fielder. She has also held marketing roles for Universal Pictures and Sony.
Tan-Gillespie holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies from the University of Plymouth in the UK and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), as well as a host of professional accreditations.
KFC US welcomed her appointment, expressing confidence in her abilities and proven track record.
Tarun Lal said, “Tan-Gillespie is a seasoned leader with a proven record of building brands and delivering compelling marketing initiatives that deliver measurable bottom-line impact.”
“By combining marketing and development roles into one, we are acknowledging the importance of the customer experience in our restaurants to overall brand perception and doubling down on our commitments to getting both right.”
The marketing reshuffle comes at a time when the QSR giant tries to break free from a performance slump and is the latest in a series of leadership changes.
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE
