News

Taco Bell names Niccol as new CEO

May 21, 2014

Taco Bell's former chief marketing and innovation officer Brian Niccol has been named as the brand's new CEO, succeeding Greg Creed, who will become CEO of Yum! Brands. Both position elevations are effective Jan. 1, 2015.

Niccol, 40, currently serves as president of Taco Bell U.S.

In his new role, he will be responsible for driving overall brand strategy and performance of the business in the U.S. and internationally, including doubling system sales for the 10-year period ending 2022 and opening 2,000 new restaurants. According to a news release, the growth strategy includes focusing on organic growth through innovation, new daypart expansion, restaurant development and delivering world class operations.

"Brian has extraordinary leadership skills that make him the ideal candidate for our next CEO," Creed said in the release. "He is a dynamic leader who genuinely cares about this brand, its people and the culture of the organization. He has a proven track record and the necessary vision to deliver our growth objectives, having overseen multiple breakthrough initiatives including the brand's game-changing breakfast launch earlier this year. Brian's relentless focus on always being a better, more relevant and accessible Taco Bell has made the brand an industry leader and fan favorite."

Prior to Niccol's position as president of Taco Bell U.S., he served as chief marketing and innovation officer. As CMIO, he introduced the Live Más brand tagline. Prior to his position at Taco Bell, he served as general manager for Pizza Hut USA, and held several brand management positions at Procter & Gamble.

Niccol also serves as chairman of the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, where he led an agreement with the Boys & Girls Club of America, establishing a $30 million, multi-year grant to enable teens to graduate from high school.