Yum! Brands, Inc. announced the appointment of Micky Pant, 54, as president, Global Branding, a newly created position reporting directly to David C. Novak, Yum! Brands chairman and CEO. Pant will also retain his position as chief marketing officer for Yum! Brands’ Dallas-based international division, Yum! Restaurants International (YRI), reporting to Graham Allan, president, YRI.

In his new role, Pant will be responsible for leading and establishing a singular global brand positioning and identity for KFC, Pizza Hut and ultimately for all of the Company’s brands around the world. Pant will continue to serve on the Yum! Partner’s Council leadership team and retain his current accountabilities for YRI including having all of the Chief Marketing Officers in the U.S. and around the world report to him on a dotted line basis.

"Micky Pant is an outstanding leader and one of the most talented marketers and brand builders in the entire restaurant industry. I’m excited for him to continue to build synergy and know-how across our global marketing system to achieve breakthrough results,” said Novak.

Pant has served as global chief concept officer for Yum! Brands, CMO for YRI and president for Taco Bell International for nearly four years, joining the company from Reebok International in 2005 where he worked for 10 years in various marketing capacities including global chief marketing officer. During this time, Reebok was the winner of two Golden Lion awards at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999 and 2003, considered by some to be the highest honor in advertising, and was also recognized as the Interactive Marketer of the Year by Adweek magazine in 2003. Pant has also worked at PepsiCo and spent 15 years with Unilever in India and the United Kingdom.