Wendy’s names Kurt Kane chief concept officerWendy’s names Kurt Kane chief concept officer

The Wendy’s Co. has appointed Kurt Kane to the newly created position of chief concept officer, effective May 4, leading the chain’s North American marketing and innovation efforts, the company said Monday.

Kane will report to CEO Emil Brolick and will be part of the senior leadership team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kurt to Wendy’s,” Brolick said in a statement. “His expertise in brand building, product innovation and people development will help accelerate Wendy’s brand transformation as we seek to build a deeper connection with our customers.”

Brolick added that the chief concept officer position will enable Wendy’s to “elevate our marketing and innovation capabilities to secure our ‘A Cut Above’ brand position.”

Kane was previously global chief marketing and food innovation officer at Pizza Hut. He led the development of the chain’s strategic direction, as well as the execution of advertising, media planning and product innovation.

Kane started at Pizza Hut in 2008 as the chain’s vice president of marketing and gradually increased his level of responsibility in the following years.

Prior to Pizza Hut, Kane worked with a number of brands, including Frito-Lay Inc., where he led the reinvention of the Doritos brand, Molson Coors Brewing Company and Procter & Gamble. He started his career as an air defense artillery officer in the U.S. Army, and has an MBA from the University of Texas.

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