CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. (parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's⁾ has appointed of Max Wetzel as chief executive officer.

Wetzel succeeds Ned Lyerly.

Wetzel brings extensive experience in franchising, restaurants, and growing consumer brands. He was previously COO of Papa John's International Inc., with more than 5,000 restaurants across 48 countries and territories, where he led the brand's turnaround to strong growth and profitability.

"The entire CKE team has built an incredible business and accomplished so much over the last several years. I see massive opportunity to build on these accomplishments and accelerate growth of the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brands," Wetzel said.

"We are excited to welcome Max to lead CKE. His proven record leading brands to realize their growth potential is ideally suited for Carl's Jr.® and Hardee's® as the brands set forth on their next chapter," said Sarah Spiegel, CKE board member.

Source: CKE