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Bloomin’ Brands chief information officer announces exit from companyBloomin’ Brands chief information officer announces exit from company

Donagh M. Herlihy, executive vice president and chief information officer of Bloomin’ Brands, is leaving

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

January 14, 2020

1 Min Read
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Joanna Fantozzi

Outback Steakhouse parent company Bloomin’ Brands Inc. has announced that chief information officer and executive vice president Donagh M. Herlihy is leaving the company, effective Jan. 26, according to an SEC filing filed on Jan. 8. Herlihy will receive a lump sum severance payment of $1,500,000 along with “certain other benefits,” according to the filing.

Herlihy joined Bloomin’ Brands in 2014 in a role that “combined digital marketing and information technology roles” for the first time, and helped to solidify the company’s digital marketing and technology strategies, particularly as the Outback Steakhouse chain expanded overseas. 

Previously, Herilhy was a technology executive at Avon and Wrigley.

A representative for Bloomin’ Brands said that they have no further comment on the executive change, and there is no further information on a replacement for Herilhy.

The news of the executive change came just two months after Bloomin’ CEO David Deno said that the company was considering “strategic alternatives” including a possible sale of the company.

“The company plans to proceed in a timely manner but has not set a definitive timetable for completion of this process,” a company press release released in November said.

As of November, Bloomin’ Brands operates more than 1,450 restaurants in 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 21 countries worldwide.

Related:Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno says business is ‘under appreciated’

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected] 

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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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