Yum Brands’ KFC global on Thursday named Tarun Lal president of the KFC U.S. business, effective July 15. Lal is replacing Kevin Hochman, who left the company June 3 to become the president and CEO of Brinker International.
Currently, Lal is the managing director of KFC Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey, Africa and India and has been with Yum Brands since 2000, when he was hired as the director of operations at Pizza Hut. Since then, Lal has served in multiple roles at the company, including global COO of KFC, and has mainly worked in international regions for Yum Brands.
In his current role, Lal helped KFC across sub-Saharan Africa and unlocked new markets for the brand. He also is a champion of women’s leadership at Yum Brands and helped sponsor talent initiatives like Next-Generation of Women (N.O.W.) for the company.
As U.S. president, he will report to Dyke Shipp, KFC division president, and relocate to the KFC U.S. headquarters in Louisville, Ky.
"Tarun has proven to be a best-in-class operator with a strong commercial outlook and approach," said Shipp. "As he joins the U.S. brand, we are confident he will be met with a similar passion for consistent execution and achieving breakthrough results."
Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi
