DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), the parent company of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP Restaurants, today announced that Jean M. Birch, President of IHOP, will leave the Company effective August 27, 2012.
DineEquity has commenced a search for a new President of IHOP. Julia A. Stewart, DineEquity’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will assume day-to-day leadership of the brand and provide strategic direction until a successor is identified.
“I want to thank Jean for her dedication and leadership. She has made lasting contributions to the brand and has identified ways to expand our breakfast platform. I wish Jean all the best on her future endeavors,” said Ms. Stewart. “Along with IHOP’s talented management team, I am committed to meeting our goals and creating an insurmountable lead in family dining.”
For the fifth consecutive year, IHOP was ranked first in the family dining category by Nation’s Restaurant News on the basis of U.S. system-wide sales for the latest completed fiscal year.
Based in Glendale, California, DineEquity, Inc., through its subsidiaries, franchises and operates under the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar and IHOP brands. With more than 3,500 restaurants combined in 18 countries, over 400 franchisees and approximately 200,000 team members (including franchisee- and company-operated restaurant employees), DineEquity is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world. For more information on DineEquity, visit the Company’s Web site located at www.dineequity.com.
