Wendy’s, seeking to bolster its technology capabilities, tapped one of the most tech forward restaurant chains for its newest chief information officer: former Domino’s CIO Kevin Vasconi.
The move comes weeks after Vasconi retired from Domino’s, where he worked for eight years. Vasconi had a lead role in developing the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based pizza giant’s domestic and international technology capabilities. Domino’s now generates more than two-thirds of its sales through digital channels.
That’s where Wendy’s wants to be. Vasconi will assume responsibility for Wendy’s global technology efforts, including consumer-facing digital, restaurant technology, enterprise architecture and technology and information security.
“Digital technology is a critical growth driver for Wendy’s today and will be in the future,” Wendy’s CEO Todd Penegor said in a statement. He called Vasconi “an ideal leader to join our organization and help us advance to the next level.”
Vasconi has more than 30 years of technology experience in multiple industries in addition to his work with Domino’s.
Wendy’s has been pushing more technology for some time, much like most of the restaurant industry. But it has been looking for a CIO since early August when the company announced the position’s creation after the departure of Chief Digital Experience Officer Laura Titas.
The company believes digital, including mobile ordering and loyalty, can help get customers in the door more often. “Frequency remains an opportunity for us,” Penegor said in August.
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