Ruby Tuesday appoints 2 execs to the C-suite: George Evans as chief operating officer and Kathy Buckley as chief financial officerRuby Tuesday appoints 2 execs to the C-suite: George Evans as chief operating officer and Kathy Buckley as chief financial officer

Maryville, Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday has named two new execs to C-suite positions, the company announced Monday. George Evans was promoted from vice president of operations excellence to chief operating officer, and Kathy Buckley joined the company as chief financial officer.

“We are pleased to announce the addition of George and Kathy to the Ruby Tuesday team,” said Shawn Lederman, chief executive officer for Ruby Tuesday, in a statement. “They both have tremendous experience in the restaurant industry and will be invaluable assets as we continue to strengthen our operations and drive the long-term profitability of Ruby Tuesday.”

Evans originally joined Ruby Tuesday in 1991 as a training manager and remained with the company until 2000, when he took on the role of partner and vice president of operations for Specialty Restaurant Group, followed by time at P.F. Chang’s before rejoining Ruby Tuesday in 2007.

Buckley comes to Ruby Tuesday as the new CFO from companies such as Bruegger’s Bagels, The Rug Doctor and RadioShack. In this position, Buckley will “utilize her passion for driving EBITDA results and provide direction on financial planning, analysis and treasury, in addition to managing all aspects of accounting,” according to the company.

“The addition of these two industry veterans will ensure well executed plans and the knowledge to help Ruby Tuesday elevate above the casual dining category,” added Lederman in the release.

As of 2020, casual-dining brand Ruby Tuesday had 240 units, down 46.1% from 2019, according to NRN’s Top 500 report.