Sami Siddiqui, who helped build Popeyes into the country’s second-largest chicken chain, was promoted to CFO of parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the company said on Thursday.
Jeff Klein was named his replacement as Popeyes president in the U.S. and Canada as part of a shuffling of leadership at the Toronto-based RBI. The fast-food operator also named Thiago Santelmo president of its international division, which oversees the international efforts of Popeyes, Burger King, Tim Hortons and Firehouse Subs.
Josh Kobza, named CEO of RBI last year, called the three “proven, valuable leaders.”
Siddiqui has worked with RBI for 11 years, most recently as brand president for Popeyes, which has generated record levels of sales, restaurant growth and profitability, vaulting that brand into the No. 2 player in the chicken market.
“Sami has deep finance and operational experience, which makes him a great partner to our presidents as we deliver on our growth plans across the company,” Kobza said in a statement.
Santelmo joined the company 11 years ago, first as general manager in Latin America and then as the region’s president. He has also been president of RBI’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
“Thiago has spent his career building master franchisee relationships and working closely with them to develop new markets,” Kobza said.
Klein joined Popeyes leadership team two years ago as its chief marketing officer and has 25 years of experience in marketing and consumer insights. He had previously been the CMO of Little Caesars and spent 15 years with PepsiCo.
Klein will bring his “guest-centric approach to making Popeyes ‘Easy to Love’ across the U.S. and Canada,” Kobza said.
RBI recently overhauled its operating structure, with each of the four brands operating under their own presidents in the U.S. and Canada, while a single division operates all four brands' international operations.
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