Inspire names industry veterans to top postsInspire names industry veterans to top posts

Inspire Brands has named two industry veterans as chief development officer and chief supply officer, the company said Wednesday.

Atlanta-based Inspire said Don Crocker, left, formerly of Chick-fil-A Inc., will serve as chief development officer, leading company and franchise restaurant development, and Christopher Held will be chief supply officer, centralizing the supply chain functions of Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In and Rusty Taco and Arby’s outside the United States.

The company said “ARCOP, Arby’s supply chain cooperative, will continue to manage Arby’s U.S. supply chain and will work closely with the Inspire supply chain team to coordinate supplier relationships across the enterprise.”

Crocker most recently was with Chick-fil-A Inc., where for more than two decades he served in a number of senior leadership roles within the company’s real estate, restaurant development, and supply chain groups.

“Don brings a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry,” said Paul Brown, Inspire CEO, in a statement. “I am thrilled to work alongside him as we accelerate unit growth and welcome new franchisees to the Inspire family.”

Held, left, most recently was with Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, the supply-chain management organization for Yum Brands Inc. At RSCS, Chris served as senior vice president for Kentucky Fried Chicken, where he was responsible for leading the supply chain for 4,500 KFC locations.

“We are very excited to welcome Chris as part of the Inspire family,” Brown said, citing his experience in the quick-service restaurant segment. “The centralization of our supply chain under Chris’ leadership will allow us to fully leverage our combined scale in support of our brands.”

Inspire Brands has more than 8,400 restaurants under its four brands and its systemwide sales exceeded $12.2 billion in 2018.

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