Former Yum Brands executive Blake Devillier was named brand president of Carl’s Jr. in the U.S., as its parent company CKE Restaurants continues a restructuring of the company’s leadership.
Devillier will be one of three presidents who will report to CEO Max Wetzel. Chris Bode was named president of Hardee’s USA last fall. And Mike Woida has been president of both brands’ international efforts.
Their task will be to revitalize a pair of struggling brands, at least in the U.S. Hardee’s alone has closed about 200 locations since 2019 amid years of weak sales. Those struggles were highlighted in the bankruptcy last year of Summit Restaurant Holdings, one of the chain’s largest operators.
Wetzel, a former Papa Johns executive, was hired to helm the Franklin, Tennessee-based CKE last year. The company, owned by the Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital, has since made numerous changes to its c-suite, including a new marketing chief and a new CFO.
Devillier joined CKE this month. He had been an SVP of field operations with Taco Bell and before that spent 25 years with the clothing retailer GAP.
Wetzel said that the three executives’ track records and vision “will be instrumental in unlocking the full potential of our brands.” He also said the executives’ focus on dedicated growth plans would help CKE see “transformative results.”
Carl’s operates more than 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. and has locations in 24 countries. Hardee’s operates 1,600 locations domestically and has locations in 13 countries.
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