Pizza Hut Inc. has named Joe Kim chief operations officer, effective immediately, the company said Wednesday.
Kim succeeds Amanda Fleming, who left the Plano, Texas-based company more than a year ago.
Kim most recently was senior vice president for strategy and growth at San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp., where he worked for 15 years. Before joining Valero, Kim spent several years with Arthur Andersen Business Consulting.
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At Pizza Hut, Kim will be responsible for operations including speed to market, management and emphasis on restaurant quality.
“Joe is well suited to this new role at Pizza Hut, having extensive multi-unit operations leadership experience from consulting and the convenience store industry,” said Scott Bergren, Pizza Hut’s chief executive and president, in a statement.
“His background and accomplishments have given him a uniquely broad business perspective and have left him distinctively well prepared to lead our operations team,” Bergren added.
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands Inc., has more than 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 nations. Pizza Hut also operates about 4,000 Wingstreet restaurants.
Contact Ron Ruggless at ronald.ruggless@penton.com.
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