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KFC U.S. president Kevin Hochman departs Yum BrandsKFC U.S. president Kevin Hochman departs Yum Brands

Hochman is leaving to succeed Wyman Roberts as president and CEO at Brinker International

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

May 16, 2022

1 Min Read
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Joanna Fantozzi

Yum Brands announced Monday the departure of Kevin Hochman, president of KFC U.S., from the company, effective June 3. Hochman will be leaving Yum to “assume a senior position at another public company,” though no further details of his next steps were given; later Monday, Brinker International reported that he would succeed Wyman Roberts as president and CEO upon Roberts’ retirement in June. Until Yum finds a replacement for Hochman, Dyke Shipp, KFC division president, will assume responsibility of the KFC U.S. business in the interim.

“I want to thank Kevin for his leadership, his bold and creative thinking and his unwavering focus on keeping the iconic KFC brand culturally relevant for consumers,” Sabir Sami, KFC Division CEO said in a statement. “As Kevin moves on to another opportunity, we’re thankful for the strong and experienced leadership team at KFC U.S. Dyke is an accomplished executive with a strong track record of elevating KFC’s unique and distinctive culture, shaping leaders around the world and driving an ambitious global development agenda.”

Hochman began his career at Yum brands in 2014 as CMO of KFC, before moving on to U.S. president of Pizza Hut through Nov. 2021. Since 2017, he has been president of KFC U.S.

Related:Yum Brands accelerated development in 2021 despite Q4 speedbumps

“As we look ahead, I couldn’t be more excited about the future of KFC as we continue working with our talented leaders and amazing franchisees to further strengthen and accelerate the development of our iconic, well-loved brand globally,” Sami added.

Interim CEO Dyke Shipp was chief development officer for Yum Brands from 2006 to 2016, and most recently, was promoted to global KFC division president in January.

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About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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