Brian O’Malley will take over as CEO at Bravo Brio Restaurant Group Inc., for the resigning Saed Mohseni effective Dec. 28, the Columbus, Ohio-based company said on Thursday.
Mohseni will also step down from the casual-dining company’s board of directors. Connie Collins, currently vice president of operations, will be promoted to take O’Malley’s place as chief operating officer.
“Brian is not only a true restaurateur as well as a long standing and dedicated team member, but also a results driven executive with proven strategic and operational expertise,” Bravo Brio Chairman Alton F. “Rick” Doody said in a statement. “He is ideally suited to lead our company into the future and further position us as the recognized leader in upscale affordable Italian dining.”
Mohseni has been the CEO of the operator of Bravo Cucina Italiana and Brio Tuscan Grille since February 2007. He led the company’s initial public offering in 2010.
Yet the company’s sales have struggled in recent quarters and the company’s stock price closed today below $12 a share, half the price it was in 2011 in the quarters immediately following its initial public offering. Same-store sales declined 3.5 percent at the company’s two concepts in the third quarter ended Sept. 27, the company said Thursday.
“I would like to express our deep gratitude to Saed for all he has accomplished at BBRG over the past nine years,” Doody said. “He is a man of high integrity and passionate leadership and we will miss his wisdom and counsel.”
Mohseni called the decision to leave Bravo Brio difficult. “I have greatly enjoyed my tenure here and am proud of what we have been able to accomplish together,” he said in a statement. ‘While my decision to leave the BBRG family was difficult, we are fortunate to have a deeply talented team of executive management and field leadership and I am highly confident that the company will be in exceptional hands with Brian as the new chief executive officer and Connie as the new chief operating officer.”
O’Malley has been with Bravo Brio since 1996, when he started at the company as general manager of Bravo Dayton. He was promoted through the ranks until he was named chief operating officer in 2010. In 2014 he was given the title of president in addition to COO.
“It has been my privilege to partner with Saed at BBRG and I am grateful for the opportunity to sere as incoming chief executive officer,” O’Malley said. “I am committed to delivering great experiences for our guests and value to our shareholders, and with the support of our entire team, I know that we will have an exceptional future.”
Collins has worked with Clyde’s Restaurant Group in Washington D.C. and Copeland’s in New Orleans before she was came to Bravo Brio in 2013 as district partner. She was named vice president of operations in January 2014.
“I am excited to be taking on additional responsibilities as incoming chief operating officer,” Collins said in a statement. “I appreciate the board’s confidence in me and look forward to working with the entire team to deliver exceptional hospitality to our guests.”
Bravo Brio has 116 total restaurants, including 52 Bravo restaurants, 63 Brio locations and one Bon Vie restaurant in 33 states.
Contact Jonathan Maze at [email protected].
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