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Jennifer Schuler, CEO, Wetzel's Preztels
Schuler rose through the ranks quickly at Wetzel’s Pretzels. She started in mid-2014 as chief marketing officer and was promoted to brand president in October 2017.
On Jan. 1, 2019, she became only the second CEO in the brand’s history, replacing co-founder Bill Phelps, who stepped down after 25 years.
As president, Schuler led initiatives to add or remodel units in “A” location malls with a higher mix of restaurant and entertainment tenants, which drives more foot traffic.
In 2017, she spearheaded the introduction of a bold new Wetzel’s prototype at a remodeled Westfield mall in New Jersey. The redesigned look includes contemporary graphics, softer yellow hues and an enhanced exhibition counter to showcase the pretzel-making process.
She also became a Wetzel’s franchisee last year when she took over two locations inside the Mall of America in Minnesota. She said it gave her a “guttural level” look at the challenges operators face including rising labor costs and maintaining a quality workforce.
