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President and chief executive, Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.
• The stock option: Sally Smith took Buffalo Wild Wings public in a $51 million initial public offering Nov. 21, 2003, after seven years as chief executive.
• Industry advocate: Smith served as chair of the National Restaurant Association in 2011.
• Branching out: Last year, Smith led Buffalo Wild Wings into the fast-casual space with a minority investment in Los Angeles-based PizzaRev.
Chairman and chief executive, Yum! Restaurants China
• Ahead of the curve: Sam Su started his career with what is now Yum! Brands Inc. in 1989 at KFC, the first U.S. quick-service chain to enter China in 1987.
• Big year: In 2012, Yum China crossed the billion-dollar profit mark and opened its 4,000th KFC, its 800th Pizza Hut casual-dining restaurant and a total of 889 new restaurants.
• Multibillion-dollar idea: Su’s operations in China today boast $8 billion in total system sales and represent more than 40 percent of Yum’s operating profits.
Chief executive, Taco Bell
• Reinventing the taco: Greg Creed oversaw the creation of the wildly successful Doritos Locos Taco line, which debuted in 2012. More than $1 billion worth of the tacos has been sold to date.
• Experience first: As part of Taco Bell’s shift to a focus on the customer experience, Creed changed the chain’s “Think Outside the Bun” slogan to “Live Más,” or “live more.”
• Breaking into breakfast: In 2014, Taco Bell plans to roll out breakfast nationwide, with such innovative menu items as the Waffle Taco — a waffle shaped like a taco and stuffed with scrambled eggs and sausage.
President and chief executive, McDonald’s Corp.
• Executive shakeup: Don Thompson replaced Jan Fields, a 35-year veteran of McDonald’s, with Jeff Stratton as president of McDonald’s USA after a same-store sales decline in October 2012. Since then, McDonald’s has also named new presidents for Europe and Asia.
• Encouraging healthful habits: Thompson took the stage of the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative 2013 with former President Bill Clinton to announce McDonald’s commitment to serve more fruits and vegetables and change the marketing for Happy Meals.
• Talking politics: Along with the chief executives of Marriott, State Farm and Lockheed Martin, Thompson participated in a November 2013 meeting with President Barack Obama about immigration reform.
Chairman and chief executive, DineEquity Inc.
• Growth push: As president of the domestic division of Applebee’s International Inc., Julia Stewart helped to grow Applebee’s from 1,000 units to nearly 1,400 from 1998 to 2001.
• To the top: Stewart was named president and chief operating officer of IHOP Corp. in 2001 and became chief executive within six months. She was named chairman of the board slightly more than four years later.
• Building an empire: In 2007 Stewart led IHOP’s $2.3 billion acquisition Applebee’s, creating the world’s largest full-service restaurant company.
Founder, chairman and co-chief executive; Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
• Taking the market by storm: In the nearly 21 years since Steve Ells founded Chipotle Mexican Grill, the chain has grown to more than 1,550 units and currently boasts a market capitalization of almost $16.7 billion.
• “Food With Integrity”: Ells has made it a priority to serve high-quality food made with ingredients that are organic, locally sourced, and ethically and sustainably raised, whenever possible. Last year, Chipotle announced that it will also remove as many genetically modified organisms from its supply chain as possible, despite the fact that the move is expected to raise food costs.
• Bringing burritos home: Chipotle debuted its catering program in January 2013, and it is
expected to roll out in all markets this year. In October, when catering was only available in a handful of cities, the off-premise efforts already accounted for 1 percent of total sales.
Chairman, president and chief executive; Chick-fil-A Inc.
• Presidential aspirations: Dan Cathy became president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A Inc. in 2001.
• Taking the lead: Domestic systemwide sales at Chick-fil-A overtook those of longtime No. 1 chicken chain KFC in 2012.
• Growth minded: Since Cathy became president, the chain has grown from 1,014 units to 1,776 and expanded outside its core Southeast market.
Founder and managing partner, Roark Capital Group
• PE with principles: Neal Aronson created Roark Capital Group in 2001, setting out to follow 12 key values that include integrity, accountability and trust.
• Ice cream man: Aronson made his first acquisition through Roark in December 2001 when the company bought Carvel Corp. for $30 million.
• The big get: Roark acquired CKE Inc., parent to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands, in a December 2013 transaction valued at a reported $1.7 billion.
President, Food Category; Scripps Networks Interactive Inc.
• Climbing the ladder: After serving as senior vice president and general manager of the Food Network for a year, Brooke Johnson was promoted to president in 2004.
• Growth channels: Johnson launched the Cooking Channel in 2010 and became head of Scripps Networks Interactive Inc.’s Food Category.
• Influencing tastes: The Food Network and Cooking Channel have made once obscure ingredients and meals accessible to consumers, with chefs teaching them to cook and enjoy dishes like coconut-ginger rice and lobster corn chowder.
Chairman, president and chief executive; Starbucks Corp.
• The American European coffeehouse: On a business trip to Milan, Howard Schultz became enamored with the coffee bars there that served as community gathering spots. He started his own cafe concept, Il Giornale, and later bought the Starbucks brand from its founders for $3.8 million.
• C-suite as pulpit: In recent years, Schultz has become an outspoken and progressive executive, using his position to speak out against political gridlock in Washington or in support of gay rights.
• A powerful investor: Schultz partnered with Dan Levitan in 1998 to form venture capital firm Maveron, which has raised close to $800 million in capital. Maveron provided early backing for restaurant concepts like Potbelly and Pinkberry, as well as companies like eBay and Groupon.
