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Seafood-focused restaurant chain Captain D’s promotes Nan Ward to chief operating officerSeafood-focused restaurant chain Captain D’s promotes Nan Ward to chief operating officer

Ward has been with the fast-casual company since 2012

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

February 21, 2024

1 Min Read
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Captain D's has promoted from within for its new COO.

Fast-casual restaurant chain Captain D’s announced on Wednesday the promotion of Nan Ward to chief operating officer. Ward has been with the company since 2012, most recently serving as chief people development officer.

In her new role, Ward will oversee all company operations, human resources, training, and people development. 

“Over the past 12 years with Captain D’s, [Ward] has made a defining impact on the company across many disciplines,” Captain D’s CEO Phil Greifeld said in a statement. “She has a vast, hands-on background in operations and pairs it with savvy business acumen. It’s a powerful combination that ensures [Ward] will excel as COO, leading our operations to even higher levels of excellence as we push into new regions.”

Ward joined the seafood-focused restaurant based in Nashville, Tenn., over a decade ago as a human resources manager, and was named director of training in 2017. In 2019, Ward was named chief people development officer.

Captain D’s has over 530 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada and plans to keep growing through new franchise agreements. Recently, the privately held chain announced a third consecutive year of same-store sales growth.

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Captain D’s

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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