Chili's turned to Tinder for its next CMO.
The 1,600-unit bar-and-grill chain on Tuesday said it has hired George Felix, CMO of the dating app, as its new marketing chief. He starts Thursday, filling a role that was last occupied by Ellie Doty, who left in June 2020.
Though Felix came from Tinder, it's his more than 10 years at Yum Brands and Procter & Gamble that likely played heavily into Chili's owner Brinker International's decision to hire him. The company's new CEO and president, Kevin Hochman, previously worked at Yum and P&G alongside Felix.
"George has a track record of driving sales quickly and rebuilding big brands over time," Hochman said in a statement. "He is also a servant leader with a focus on growing people–which makes him a perfect fit for our Chili's culture. I am confident George will bring a fresh perspective to serving our Guests and our Team Members."
Chili's CMO George Felix. / Photograph courtesy of Brinker International
Felix was with Tinder for a little over a year. Before that, he spent more than five years at Yum Brands, where he led and launched ad campaigns including KFC's "Return of Colonel Sanders" and Pizza Hut's "Newstalgia" campaigns. In January 2020, he was promoted to CMO of Pizza Hut's U.S. division while Hochman was its president.
Before Yum, Felix was a brand manager at Procter & Gamble for more than five years. He led Old Spice's award-winning "Smell Like a Man" campaigns, among other initiatives. Hochman was marketing director at the time.
"Chili's is such an iconic brand that's not only culturally relevant, but also known for its irreverent approach to advertising and marketing," Felix said in a statement. "I'm excited to lean on my brand positioning and advertising experience to find new opportunities for building momentum and accelerating growth for this great brand."
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