Ed Nelson, the longtime president and CEO of Whataburger, will be retiring at the end of the year, closing out a 20-year career with the popular Texas-based burger chain. Nelson joined Whataburger in 2004 and climbed the ranks to become CEO in 2020. Under his leadership, the company expanded significantly beyond Texas, increasing its overall system sales by 40% and adding 250 new locations to reach a total of about 1,000 restaurants. Taking his place will be Debbie Stroud, a former Starbucks executive who serves as Whataburger’s COO. Stroud has a robust background in retail operations, having also spent 27 years at McDonald’s in various financial and operational capacities. The transition comes amid a slew of executive changes within the restaurant industry, with several chains naming women as their top executives this year.
Quick-Service Restaurants, Hospitality, Corporate Governance,United States, Texas
https://mergersacquisitions.einnews.com/article/740554131/54LYCT7g7MOjXhzU?ref=rss&ecode=Q1vNcweEggLWKz7L