Hala Moddelmog, president of Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc., announced that Russ Klein will join Arby’s as Chief Marketing Officer. Klein, who brings a 25-year track record of marketing management, brand turnarounds and value creation at Burger King, 7-Eleven, Dr Pepper, 7-Up and other brands, will lead Arby’s efforts to revitalize the iconic fast food brand.

“Adding a marketing pro like Russ to our team is a big win for every Arby’s stakeholder. His track record for leveraging consumer insights into powerful communication plans that resonate with consumers, drive sales and ultimately increase value is unmatched in the industry. We expect his deep knowledge of the restaurant business, his understanding of the highly competitive landscape as well as his experience with franchise organizations will deliver outstanding results for Arby’s,” said Moddelmog.

Jon Luther, chairman of ARG Holding Corporation’s Board of Directors, added, “I’ve had the privilege to work with many talented marketing executives over my career. What Russ was able to accomplish at other brands to re-position how they compete in the marketplace and change the trajectory of their businesses is truly remarkable. He’s one of the industry’s best. We all look forward to Russ making a positive impact on Arby’s.”

Over the course of his career, Klein has launched new brands, repositioned existing brands and brought “talked about” ideas to the marketplace. He has been publicly acknowledged by numerous “Top Marketer” lists spanning three decades, including “Top 100 Marketer” by Advertising Age and “Marketer of the Year” twice by Brand Week.

Klein is a graduate of Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and earned a BS in Business Administration from The Ohio State University, where he is a recipient of the Max Fisher College of Business Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Asked about the opportunity to join Arby’s, Klein explained, “It’s really about the caliber of people at Arby’s and at Roark Capital and the huge potential I see with Arby’s. Arby's represents one of the largest remaining opportunities left in the restaurant industry to take a large scale, iconic American brand and turn it into a global business. So here I am."

Arby’s President Moddelmog sees Klein as a great fit.

“We feel very good about the first phase of rebuilding Arby’s. We just completed five consecutive quarters of comp sales growth, and the launch of Arby’s Ultimate Angus Beef platform has been well received by consumers. Adding Russ’ talents and contributions will only accelerate what is already making good progress,” said Moddelmog.

Source: Arby’s Restaurant Group Inc.