Bojangles, a Carolina-born restaurant chain specializing in craveable Southern food made by hand from real recipes, has named Tom Boland as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Boland brings an outstanding track record of utilizing digital advertising, social media strategy and partnership marketing to grow market share for industry-leading brands.
Boland will oversee all integrated marketing, media planning and creative partnerships. He will lead a dynamic marketing team responsible for elevating the Bojangles brand by reaching new customers and providing a personalized connection with existing ones across all modes of operations – dine-in, drive-thru and digital channels. In addition, Boland will partner closely with the Operations, Supply Chain and Menu Innovation teams to ensure coordination and alignment across the business. He will report to Jose Armario, Chief Executive Officer.
“It’s great to have Tom join our ongoing marketing evolution, especially in today’s ever-changing world of digital communications. With his expertise and experience, I am confident that he will help further our message of delicious Southern food and hospitality in fun and engaging ways,” said Armario. "I am incredibly grateful to Jackie for her leadership and dedication in growing Bojangles marketing over the past four years. She played an important role at Bojangles and was the champion in modernizing our brand and growing our digital business.”
For the past four years, Jackie Woodward, sitting CMO, has been responsible for leading several major marketing initiatives at Bojangles, including the brand’s refresh of the logo and packaging in 2020, the launch of Bo’s Chicken Sandwich and the new app. She will stay through September 2023 to support the transition.
Boland brings more than 20 years of experience in digital marketing and brand transformation to Bojangles. He served as Vice President of Marketing at Barstool Sports, where he led the marketing efforts for 65 shows and modernized the brand’s collateral. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Social Strategy at WarnerMedia and held marketing leadership positions at Turner Broadcasting, Warner Bros. and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Boland also held leadership roles at two top advertising agencies – Ogilvy and Digitas.
“I’m so excited to join the Bojangles team,” said Boland. “With a loyal fanbase, an appetite for innovation and delicious food, Bojangles is uniquely positioned for growth. In 2023, Bojangles will expand our presence in both the physical and digital worlds. We look forward to opening new restaurants, increasing our use of branded content, adding more sizzle to our targeted social campaigns and implementing fun app promotions. I’m thrilled to foster deeper engagement with our fans and to introduce Bojangles to a wider audience. Come into one of our 800 restaurants or order through our app and enjoy our world-famous chicken, biscuits and sweet tea. It’s Bo Time!”
Boland holds a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies and Marketing from Babson College as well as an MBA from Bentley University.
