McDonald’s veteran Dave Hoffmann has succeeded Nigel Travis as CEO of Dunkin’ Brands, the parent of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins.
Hoffmann, age 50, will retain his previous position of president of Dunkin’ Donuts’ domestic operation.
Travis will remain active in the company as executive chairman, with a focus on international development, Dunkin’ Brands said in its announcement.
The 68-year-old has served as CEO of the franchise corporation since 2009. His retirement had been expected, in part because of Travis’ purchase of a stake in a United Kingdom soccer club. He hinted to investors earlier this year that he may not seek to have his contract renewed when it expired.
Hoffmann has been the heir apparent since he moved to Dunkin’ in October 2016 after a 22-year career at McDonald’s, starting as an hourly employee while in high school. Before the switch, Hoffmann had risen to president of the burger giant’s high growth markets, which included Asia and parts of Eastern Europe.
Travis is one of the most prominent and successful chain leaders in the business. In 2011, he led a sale of Dunkin’ Brands back to the public. The company’s major brand, Dunkin’ Donuts, has grown by about 6,000 units, including 2,800 new U.S. stores, under his tenure. Most recently, he oversaw Dunkin’ Donuts’ return to California, a market that resisted the brand’s penetration in a previous expansion push.
Hoffmann has been a key figure in the rollout of Blueprint for Growth, a plan to transform Dunkin’ Donuts into more of a beverage outlet than a doughnut specialist, with an emphasis on off-premise business.
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