Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. today announced that Paul Brown will join the company as Chief Executive Officer. Brown has extensive experience and a proven track record in leading global brands, franchising, hospitality and corporate performance improvement including roles at Hilton Worldwide, Inc., Expedia, Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group and McKinsey & Company. Brown’s start date will be May 13, 2013.
“Paul is the ideal leader to further Arby’s strategic vision and build upon our strong sales performance and momentum. He will strengthen the collaborative relationship between Arby’s franchisees, employees, suppliers and stakeholders,” said Jon Luther , Chairman of the Arby’s Board of Directors. “We’re thrilled to be able to attract his level of talent, which is indicative of our future growth potential.”
“Paul is an exceptional brand builder. He is known for his unique insights and business acumen, both of which will drive the continued growth of this great brand,” added Neal Aronson , Founder and Managing Partner of Roark Capital Group, the majority owner of Arby’s.
As CEO, Brown will lead Arby’s through its continued revitalization. He will work with franchisees and Arby’s management to enhance the company’s culture, systems and processes to further innovate Arby’s product offerings, improve the customer experience and achieve strong financial results. Hala Moddelmog will report to Brown and continue to serve as President of Arby’s. Under her leadership, Arby’s has registered nine consecutive quarters of same store sales increases.
“I’ve long admired the Arby’s brand and I see tremendous growth opportunity for the entire organization,” said Mr. Brown. “Arby’s has a loyal franchisee base, a talented management team, a terrific product offering and passionate customers. I’m honored to partner with all of our stakeholders to grow this iconic business.”
Brown comes to Arby’s from Hilton Worldwide, Inc., a global hospitality company comprises more than 3,900 properties, with 650,000 rooms in 90 countries across 10 brands including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Hotels. As Hilton Worldwide’s President of Brands & Commercial Services, Paul Brown was the company’s global leader for brand management, product standards, marketing, sales, pricing, eCommerce, loyalty program, franchise relations and information technology.
Brown joined Hilton Worldwide in November 2008. Previously he served as President of Expedia.com. Prior to Expedia, Brown was a partner at McKinsey & Company. Based in London, he was a leader of the firm’s global travel and hospitality practice and served clients in all sectors of the travel and hospitality business.
Brown also worked at InterContinental Hotels Group, where he served as Senior Vice President of Global Brand Services and was responsible for global sales, reservations, the Priority Club loyalty program, e-commerce and purchasing. He was also a Manager for The Boston Consulting Group in the firm’s Chicago and Atlanta offices.
Brown serves as a member of the board of directors of H&R Block, Inc., the Georgia Tech Advisory Board and the Junior Achievement of Greater Washington. He has also served as an Executive-in-Residence at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
Brown holds a MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech.
