Name: Ewan Davenport
New title: President, international, CKE Restaurants
Previous title: Managing director, global franchise markets, Pizza Hut
Davenport will oversee expansion and development of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s in international markets, according to a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive Tuesday. He will focus on “driving innovation, operational excellence, and franchisee success to further solidify CKE’s position as a global QSR leader,” the company said.
The chains have more than 1,100 restaurants outside the U.S. across 40 international markets. Last year, CKE opened its 400th Carl’s Jr. in Mexico and signed a deal to expand the brand into the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Davenport previously worked at Yum Brands for over nine years, holding various international leadership positions at Pizza Hut, according to his LinkedIn profile. During this time, he helped drive growth, brand awareness and franchisee relationships across several international markets. He also held various leadership positions at Unilever and SABMiller, a South African beverage and brewing company that was acquired by Anheuser-Bush in 2016.
Davenport succeeds Mike Woida, who retired at the start of this year, after 48 years with the company. His appointment comes a few months after CKE named Joe Guith as CEO.
