This month continued the trend of big CEO departures in the restaurant industry with the abrupt exit of Kelli Valade from Red Lobster after less than a year on the job and the retirement of John Miller from Denny’s after 40 years in the industry.
There were also two CEO appointments this month. Rosa Mexicano and Virtual Dining Concepts both named chief executives, the latter choosing its first-ever CEO.
In other executive news, Papa Johns announced the retirement of its international chief operating officer along with two new internal promotions — a new chief international operations officer and a new chief international and development officer — plus a new chief restaurant officer.
Bojangles also named a new chief operations officer, as well as Papa Murphy’s and Zaxby’s.
Check out all the executives on the move for the month of April.