Dive Brief:
- Sean Tresvant will replace Mark King, who is retiring, as CEO of Taco Bell on January 1, 2024, according to a Yum Brands press release Thursday.
- Tresvant joined Taco Bell as Chief Global Brands Officer in 2022, before being elevated to chief global branding and strategy officer earlier this year. Prior to that, he worked in a variety of roles at Nike, including a stint as Director of Marketing for the Jordan Brand.
- Tresvant’s rise comes at a moment of great turnover in CEOs at major restaurant companies.
dive insight:
As CEO of Taco Bell, Tresvant will report to Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs and will have “global responsibility for leading Taco Bell’s growth strategies, franchise operations, and overall performance,” according to the press release. In positions of Chief Brand Officer and Global Strategy, Tresvant was already responsible for Taco Bell’s international business, as well as strategy, food innovation, architecture, design, and communications.
(Tresvant) leads RED’s transformational (Fit, Easy, Premium) efforts to boost sales, from Omni channel Initiatives for digital clients Contact pointsto accelerate growth and further elevate and differentiate the Taco Bell fan and team member experience.”
This digital acceleration has been extended to delivery partnerships. In November, Taco Bell began offering delivery through its loyalty app in partnership with doordash White label fulfillment option.
Additionally, menu innovation and aggressive marketing in recent quarters have helped drive Taco Bell’s success. In four months in 2022, Taco Bell sold 45 million Mexican pizzas, and LTO helped increase sales of the same brand in the US by 11% compared to 2021. Volcano slate from the early 2000s in conjunction with a campaign headed by Paris Hilton . In April, the brand partnered with comedian Pete Davidson on a campaign to promote the daytime breakfast specials. According to the press release, Tresvant was responsible for the strategy behind devising the menu and the celebrity partnership collections.
Tresvant He will be Taco Bell’s second consecutive CEO With a background in sporting goods. King joined Yum in 2019 from Adidas, and spent nearly four years as CEO of Taco Bell. In the King’s Watch, Taco Bell saw significant growth in its digital and same-store sales, according to the press release.