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12 restaurant executives on the move in December, including at Subway, Dutch Bros, and Starbucks China12 restaurant executives on the move in December, including at Subway, Dutch Bros, and Starbucks China

The pace of C-suite changes slowed down at the end of 2024

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

January 6, 2025

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After a busy year of executive changes in the restaurant industry, December saw just 12 people come and go from top roles.

A relatively large chunk of those changes happened at Dave & Buster’s. The company’s CEO stepped down and the role has been filled on an interim basis, while Dave and Buster’s previous chief information officer has returned after a brief stint at Legends.

Elsewhere in the industry, Starbucks reiterated its commitment to China by appointing that division’s first chief growth officer.

Four restaurant chains appointed new chief information and/or technology officers, demonstrating the importance of those roles as companies prepare for 2025. And two small emerging chains named their first-ever marketing chiefs, while an established casual-dining brand named a new VP in that arena.

There was a lot of shuffling as well, with a KFC executive joining 7 Brew, a Dine Brands executive joining GoTo Foods, and a Jack in the Box executive moving to Portillo’s.

Click through the gallery above to see which restaurant executives got new jobs or left theirs in December.

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected] 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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