Burger King Corp. said global chief marketing officer Natalia Franco would exit the company as part of a reorganization of the brand’s operations and marketing structure.
Franco joined the Miami-based quick-service brand a little less than nine months ago, coming over from the Coca-Cola Co. where she held the post of global vice president.
Burger King, which was acquired last year by private-equity firm 3G Capital, consolidated its operations and marketing teams in North America and on the global level.
As part of the realignment, Jonathan Fitzpatrick, formerly executive vice president of global operations, assumes the role of chief brand and operations officer. He will oversee all operations and marketing brand standards, global research and development, product development, and brand management.
Steve Wiborg, Burger King’s executive vice president and president of the North America division, will assume responsibility for all North American marketing efforts.
Burger King said Franco would remain with the company through a transitional period.
“During her tenure at Burger King Corp., Natalia has made important contributions to the brand, building the foundation for us to deliver strong marketing messages and executions that will resonate with our consumers long-term,” said chief executive Bernardo Hees.
“Our new marketing and operations alignment under Jonathan’s global leadership and Steve’s North America leadership will allow us to maintain our global standards while providing us with the flexibility we need to execute initiatives on a regional level based on local business needs,” Hees said.
Burger King has more than 12,200 restaurants worldwide, about 90 percent of which are franchised.
Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].
