Yum Brands China names new CEO
Micky Pant will replace Sam Su as the chief executive of the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
Pant has been the CEO of KFC since 2014 and will serve as Yum Brands China Division CEO after Su announced his plans of retirement.
Yum Brands also announced that Joey Wat, President of KFC China, and Peter Kao, Senior Vice President and Brand General Manager of Pizza Hut China, have each been promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer of KFC and Pizza Hut, respectively, reporting to Pant.
Greg Creed, Chief Executive Officer, Yum! Brands, Inc. said: “Sam Su is a restaurant industry pioneer in China, having established KFC and Pizza Hut as global powerhouses in the world’s fastest growing economy. While we respect and support his decision to retire after a long and successful career with YUM, we are grateful he has built a strong leadership team to carry on and leverage the unprecedented growth opportunity that China presents.”
“I’m especially pleased this leadership transition comes at a time that same-store sales have turned significantly positive, demonstrating continued recovery in the business. We thank Sam for his many significant contributions to YUM, and for ensuring a seamless transition of management to Micky Pant, who I am extraordinarily pleased will become Chief Executive Officer of Yum! Restaurants China.”
“Micky has been one of our most effective and visionary leaders at YUM for the past decade. His strong leadership skills are evident in the tremendous success he has delivered at Yum! Restaurants International (YRI) as President of KFC and Pizza Hut, and then as CEO of KFC globally,” Creed said.
“Micky is the perfect person to next lead the China Division, given his vast knowledge of KFC and Pizza Hut best practices from around the globe. He will be supported by two tremendous leaders, Joey Wat, President of KFC and Peter Kao, SVP and Brand GM of Pizza Hut, who are promoted to Chief Executive Officer of their respective brands, reporting to Micky. Angela Loh, who has served as Chief Concept Officer, and Mark Chu, who has served as President, Chief Operating Officer, will serve as Senior Advisors to Micky, continuing to share their extensive years of expertise. We believe this seasoned executive team is well-positioned to ensure a seamless management transition and continue our growth trajectory in China for many years to come.”
“As Micky becomes the CEO of the China business, I’m pleased that Roger Eaton, 55, will become Chief Executive Officer of the KFC Division outside of China and India, reporting to me. As the YUM Chief Operations Officer, Roger strengthened our operations capability, food quality and safety, and sustainability.”
