Denny’s Corp. president John Dillon has ceased to be an executive officer of the company and will be replaced by the current CEO of the breakfast chain, Kelli Valade, who will take on both the roles of CEO and president, according to an Aug. 17 SEC filing.
Dillon was president of the Spartanburg, S.C.-based company for less than one year before he was “terminated without cause” and will remain on in a non-executive capacity through the end of 2023 to help Valade transition to her new role and responsibilities, and will continue to receive his base salary throughout that period.
Before transitioning into his role as president, Dillon worked with Denny’s for more than 15 years, including as chief marketing officer and most recently, vice president, chief brand officer. He had also previously held multiple positions within the restaurant industry, including as director of marketing for Pizza Hut and he also worked as CMO of the Houston Rockets.
Kelli Valade was named as Denny’s CEO in May 2022, succeeding John Miller, who retired from the company. She previously served as CEO of Rec Lobster before joining the breakfast brand as chief executive, and now, president.
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