Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for the U.S. and Canada has named Bart LaCount as chief marketing officer and Matt Rubin as chief digital officer, company said Monday.
The Miami-based division of Restaurant Brands International Inc. said LaCount will lead all marketing efforts focused on growing traffic and accelerating sales growth as part of the Popeyes “Easy to Love” strategy. This new hire comes following the promotion of previous CMO and now president of Popeyes, Jeff Klein.
“We are excited to welcome Bart to the Popeyes family,” said Klein in a statement. “Bart brings an incredibly well-rounded marketing background to this role as we look to deepen brand relevance in communities where we are loved and expand relevance where Popeyes should be better known – all as part of the strategic plan built with and endorsed by our franchisees.”
LaCount joins the organization from PepsiCo, where he was vice president of international beverages marketing leading hydration and energy portfolios for international markets including Gatorade and Sting.
Rubin will serve as chief digital officer in the U.S. and Canada. He will oversee the Popeyes digital and technology teams guiding the digital growth strategy. He took on the responsibility of the restaurant technology team a few months ago in addition to his digital scope and has proven the effectiveness of combining both teams under one leader. Rubin has been with Restaurant Brands International for more than eight years.
“Matt is a proven leader at Popeyes with a track record of driving results. I am excited that Matt is taking on this expanded role and will be able to innovate even more to create a modern digital ecosystem across Popeyes,” Klein said.
Popeyes, founded in 1972, has more than 4,000 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. Restaurant Brands International also owns the Tim Hortons, Burger King and Firehouse Subs brands.
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