Bojangles Inc. has named Monica Sauls to the new position of chief people officer, effective Sept. 15, the company said Tuesday.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based quick-service brand said the expanded human-resources role was created following the retirement of Vickie Smith as senior vice president of human resources.
Smith had been with the company for more than 25 years and will remain with the organization for several months to consult on the transition, the company said.
Sauls, left, will report to Jose Armario, Bojangles CEO, and lead talent acquisition, talent development, employee relations, diversity and inclusion and culture stewardship. The company noted that Sauls is the first Black member of Bojangles’ senior leadership team in the company’s 43-year history.
“At Bojangles, our strength is our people, so we’re delighted to have Monica’s experience and expertise on our leadership team to help nurture our most important asset,” Armario said in a statement. “This is a critical new role as the Bojangles system looks to hire more than 30,000 new employees due to expected growth and demand over the next 12 months and build on our commitment to diversity and inclusion to create a culture where all employees are respected and valued.”
Most recently, Sauls held human resources roles at Duke Energy’s fossil hydro and nuclear divisions. Previously, she was responsible for senior executive and leadership development strategies at the Boeing Co. and served in human resources and talent management leadership roles for Walgreens and Ingersoll Rand.
“I’m excited to join the Bojangles family and look forward to serving as a key strategic partner to Jose and his leadership team,” Sauls said.
Bojangles Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits ranked No. 48 in the most recent Nation’s Restaurant News Top 200 for U.S. systemwide sales. The company had $1.33 billion in U.S. systemwide sales for the fiscal year ended December 2019, up from $1.3 in the preceding year.
Bojangles, founded in 1977, has about 750 restaurants in 11 states. The company was taken private in early 2019 by Durational Capital Management LP and The Jordan Co. LP
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