Industry veteran brings experience growing brand awareness and building customer loyalty
MOD Super Fast Pizza Holdings, LLC (“MOD Pizza”, “MOD” or the “Company”), today announced the appointment of Mark Shambura as its chief marketing officer (“CMO”). Shambura will lead the Company’s overall brand and marketing strategy for its 400+ system-wide* locations across the US and UK, with a focus on building awareness of the MOD brand while deepening MOD’s relationship with its customers.
Shambura joins MOD after five years with Chipotle Mexican Grill, where he was executive director of marketing, overseeing most of the key marketing functions supporting Chipotle’s 2,400+ restaurants. Originally hired to create and manage Chipotle’s first brand team, his responsibilities expanded to include overall brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions and field marketing. In 2016, Shambura served as interim head of marketing for Chipotle, overseeing global efforts for the organization’s full portfolio of concepts.
Prior to Chipotle, Shambura spent eight years at Creative Artists Agency where he helped launch Chipotle’s award-winning “Back to the Start” campaign, hailed by Advertising Age as one of the “Top Campaigns of the Century” as well as developing marketing strategies for Starbucks, Coca-Cola and eBay. Shambura also served as head of brand marketing, senior director at One Kings Lane, the home décor e-commerce platform.
“Mark is an intuitive and collaborative leader with deep expertise in complex national and local marketing operations. He will add tremendous value to MOD’s executive team at a critical stage in our growth as we extend our leadership in the fast casual pizza category and double-down on our commitment to making a positive social impact. During his time with Chipotle – one of the most iconic brands in the fast casual space – Mark helped shepherd their marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition,” said Scott Svenson, co-founder and CEO of MOD. “His experience and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to build our brand, deepen our connections in the markets we serve, and drive awareness of MOD’s purpose beyond pizza.”
Added Shambura, “MOD’s special culture and purpose is truly unique in our industry. I’m thrilled to join a team that is not only dedicated to growing a world class brand, but that is also deeply committed to being a force for good. It’s rare to find a company where these values complement each other, and I look forward to contributing to MOD’s continued success as a leading people-first brand.”
Shambura has relocated from New York City to the Greater Seattle area with his family and is based at MOD’s Bellevue, Washington Support Center.
MOD is a purpose-led, people focused brand, founded in Seattle in 2008 by entrepreneur husband and wife team Scott and Ally Svenson. MOD’s individual artisan-style pizzas and hand-tossed salads are made on demand using any combination of over 30 toppings, all for one incredible price. With 400+ locations system-wide* across 28 states and the United Kingdom, MOD is committed to creating not only a cool place to eat, but an inspired place to work. The company has been recognized as the number one mid-sized restaurant chain in the US in the October 2017 Fishbowl Buzz Brands Report, named as the most loved pizza brand by Foodable Network, has been ranked as America’s fastest growing chain restaurant by Technomic, earned a spot on the Inc.500 list, and was recognized by Fortune as one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Retail,” a “Best Workplace for Women,” a “Best Workplace for Millennials,” and a “Best Workplace for Diversity.” For more information, please visit www.modpizza.com or connect with the brand via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
*The term “system-wide” refers to all company-operated and licensed store locations.
