Inspire Brands taps former Sephora, Walmart executive as CIOInspire Brands taps former Sephora, Walmart executive as CIO

Inspire Brands Inc. has named Raghu Sagi, a former Sephora and Walmart executive, as chief information officer.

Sagi, who starts April 15, replaces Darla Morse, who is leaving to become chief information officer at CKE Restaurants. The parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., CKE is majority-owned by Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group, the firm that owns a majority stake in Inspire.

Sagi will be responsible for leading technology initiatives across the Inspire Brands portfolio, which includes more than 8,300 Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, and Rusty Taco restaurants around the world. He will be tasked with enhancing the experience for the more than 1.7 billion guest interactions among all Inspire concepts, the Atlanta-based company said.

Sagi comes to Inspire Brands from beauty company Sephora Americas, where he was chief engineering officer. Prior to Sephora, he held technology leadership positions at Walmart Inc. and Best Buy.

Sagi will report to Inspire CEO Paul Brown and work at the company’s Atlanta office. 

Brown said Sagi “will be instrumental in the digital transformation of Inspire and our brands.”

“He is an exceptional, innovative leader who has extensive experience in utilizing technology to fundamentally enhance the customer experience,” Brown said in a statement. “Many initiatives he has led over his career are widely considered the benchmark for the implementation of cutting-edge digital technologies in the retail space.”

Brown also thanked Morse for her many contributions to Arby’s and Inspire over the years. Morse is a 2019 NRN Power List recipient.

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