LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Yum Brands Inc. has appointed Roger Eaton as chief operating and development officer-designate, replacing Peter Hearl, who will retire at the end of March 2008.
Eaton will report directly to David C. Novak, Yum Brands chairman and chief executive officer, and will assume full responsibility as chief operating and development officer upon Hearl's departure.
Eaton will be responsible for coaching and supporting the divisional brand chief operating officers, and for sharing global operations best practices. He also will oversee Yum's restaurant excellence, quality assurance and development. The leaders of each of these functions, along with Ben Butler, president of Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Food, and Larry Roberts, general manager of the newly formed KFCC Operations in the U.S., will report to Eaton.
Since 2006, Eaton has served on the company's Partner's Council, a senior leadership think tank chaired by Novak.
"Roger Eaton is the perfect choice as Yum's new chief operating and development officer," Novak said. "He is one of our very best leaders, with enormous talent, strategic thinking, energy, commitment and a stellar track record of consistent results in one of most developed markets in the world."
Eaton is an international restaurant industry veteran and has been with the company for 12 years. Since 2000, he has served as senior vice president/managing director of Yum Restaurants International South Pacific (SOPAC).
Earlier in his career, Eaton was regional operations director of KFC SOPAC, general manager of KFC New Zealand and finance director of KFC SOPAC. Under his leadership, SOPAC has had 27 consecutive quarters of profitable same-store sales growth, as well as consistent above-target new restaurant builds.
