Focus Brands announced Wednesday the appointment of two industry veterans to new roles: former Wendy’s head of international relations William Armstrong was named chief brand officer of Schlotzsky’s and Shelley Harris was promoted from Focus Brands’ senior vice president of restaurant category operations to restaurant category president.
“Having the opportunity to promote a strong leader like Shelley Harris to lead the restaurant category shows the bench strength we have within Focus Brands, and William Armstrong’s track record of operational excellence is invaluable as Schlotzsky’s continues to grow and enter new markets,” Jim Holthouser, CEO of Focus Brands said in a statement.
William Armstrong has 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, and held leadership positions at both Yum Brands and McDonald’s before he worked at Wendy’s for almost two years as head of international operations, where he oversaw the operational strategy for all of Wendy’s international markets.
Shelley Harris has worked at Focus Brands in various capacities over the past six years, including vice president of operations at Cinnabon and McAlister’s Deli before she held her most recent position of senior vice president of operations for Focus Brands for the past nearly two years. Prior to joining the company, she spent nearly 13 years working in operations at Burger King.
“The success of our restaurant brands is imperative to the success of the company overall, and with these two leaders working alongside existing talent, I am incredibly confident in the future,” Holthouser continued.
Contact Joanna at [email protected]
Find her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi
