Leadership

KFC hires a marketing-development chief and more recent executive moves

Executive Summary: Catherine Tan-Gillespie takes the KFC post, Sweetgreen names a chief development officer and Golden Crust appoints new CEO and CFO.
Executive Summary
Staff illustration
Catherine Tan-Gillespie

Catherine Tan-Gillespie, KFC | All photos courtesy of the brands.

KFC U.S. named Catherine Tan-Gillespie the company’s new chief marketing officer and chief development officer. She will report to Tarun Lal, president of KFC U.S. She will oversee marketing and development efforts and comes from KFC Canada, where she’d been president and general manager for the past three years.

Christopher Tarrant was named senior vice president, chief development officer for Sweetgreen. He will oversee real estate development, design and construction and will report to Rossann Williams. Tarrant served previously as chief development officer for Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Caribbean fast-casual chain Golden Crust hired Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson as its new CEO and Glenn Francie as its CFO. The 115-unit brand is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Hawthorne-Robinson is a sibling of chain founder Lowell F. Hawthorne.

Black Bear Diner has appointed Art Kilmer to the role of chief operations officer, replacing Jeff Guido, who retired Aug. 14. Kilmer was most recently COO of P.F. Chang’s for six years.

John Borras

John Borras, Jaleo Chicago

Jaleo Chicago, the fifth location of José Andrés' flagship restaurant, announced the appointment of John Borras as executive chef. Borras, who is originally from Venezuela, brings over three decades of culinary experience to Jaleo’s kitchen. He previously served as director of food & beverage for Marriott Hotels and as executive chef at the Renaissance Hotel and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Borras also operated his own restaurants, 1492 Tapas Bar and Macarena Tapas.

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