Fast-food corporation Yum Brands announces strategic leadership appointments to strengthen its enterprise capabilities and drive long-term value creation across its global portfolio.

The appointments come as Chris Turner, chief executive officer-designate and chief financial and franchise officer for Yum Brands, prepares to step into the role of chief executive officer on Oct. 1, 2025.

Chris Turner. Photo courtesy of Yum Brands

Sean Tresvant has been promoted to Yum Brands’ chief consumer officer and chief executive officer of Taco Bell. With his added responsibilities, Tresvant will spearhead efforts across all Yum brands to enhance consumer insights, drive brand relevance and foster innovation that resonates with consumers worldwide. Since joining Yum in January 2022 as the global brand officer at Taco Bell, Tresvant's leadership has propelled the brand to new heights and driven strong business results, delivering positive same-store sales growth every quarter of his tenure. He also led transformative initiatives across marketing, innovation and brand strategy, notably driving cultural moments like the viral return of the Mexican Pizza and Taco Bell’s Consumer Day investor event and Live Mas Live for fans. Prior to joining Yum, Tresvant served as the chief marketing officer of the Jordan Brand at Nike.

“Sean is a talented and visionary business leader, and Taco Bell’s consumer-centric growth is undeniable,” said Turner. “His ability to create cultural relevance, fuel growth, and connect with consumers in meaningful ways makes him the perfect leader to ensure our iconic brands win the hearts of the future consumer.”

In addition, Jim Dausch, global chief digital and technology officer of Pizza Hut, has been promoted to Yum Brands’ chief digital and technology officer and president of Byte by Yum, replacing Joe Park, who is leaving Yum to pursue an outside opportunity. Since joining Pizza Hut Global as CDTO, he’s led the brand’s technology strategy and created strong franchisee relationships. Previously, Dausch served as executive vice president and chief consumer officer at Under Armour, where he focused on driving consumer demand and engagement across the brand’s digital channels. Prior to that, he spent more than 20 years at Marriott where, during his tenure, he led global digital and technology, sales, brand, operations and business transformation.

Jim Dausch. Photo courtesy of Yum Brands

“Jim is a seasoned and highly capable business leader with extensive experience in a complex, global, multi-brand franchised organization,” said Turner. “As we continue to scale Byte by Yum and harness the power of AI, his leadership will be instrumental in elevating our digital capabilities, enabling franchisee success, and creating even more connected and personalized experiences for our consumers.”

Lastly, Ranjith Roy has been promoted to Yum Brands’ chief financial officer, taking over from Turner as he steps into the chief executive officer role. Roy joined Yum in 2024 as chief strategy officer and treasurer, overseeing strategy, mergers and acquisitions and treasury operations. In this role, he brought financial expertise and a strategic lens to key growth initiatives and balance sheet management. As CFO, Roy will play a pivotal role in driving Yum’s financial planning and performance across its brands. Before joining Yum, Roy served as CFO of the e-commerce marketplace Goldbelly, where he helped scale operations and unlock new growth opportunities. He also spent more than 15 years with Goldman Sachs, where he led investment banking relationships for restaurant, food and food tech businesses, building industry expertise.

“Roy brings a blend of commercial acumen, strategic insight on Yum, and the restaurant industry to the CFO role,” said Turner. “He has a proven ability to navigate fast paced and complex environments with a sharp focus on long-term value creation.”

In addition to these promotions, Turner plans to add a chief scale officer to his leadership team. Yum Brands is beginning a search for a candidate to fill this new role, which will focus on leveraging Yum’s scale to accelerate franchisee returns, maximize unit economics and drive restaurant profitability across the entire enterprise. This leader will oversee global functions including supply chain, franchise office, food safety and quality assurance and more, and will play an important role in scaling innovations and driving sustainable growth.

“This new structure and industry-leading talent strengthens our ability to deliver for our stakeholders and positions Yum to grow in ways that only we can,” said Turner. “With their deep expertise and innovative thinking, alongside our already strong leadership team, I am confident we will continue to build on our momentum and shape the future of Yum together.”

Source: Yum Brands