Taco Bell promotes global chief brand officer to CEO
Sean Tresvant will succeed Mark King in 2024.
Konoly
Taco Bell has promoted Global Chief Brand and Strategy Officer Sean Tresvant to CEO. Tresvant will replace Mark King, who is retiring at the end of the year, and report to Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs.
The company did not immediately respond to a question about who will fill the chief brand and strategy officer role.
Tresvant’s appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2024. He joined Taco Bell in January 2022 as global chief brand officer. His role expanded to global chief brand and strategy officer earlier this year. Prior to joining Taco Bell, Tresvant spent more than 15 years in leadership roles at Nike, including chief marketing officer of Nike’s Jordan Brand. During his time as Taco Bell chief brand officer, Tresvant oversaw celebrity partnerships and the return of the Mexican Pizza menu item—marketing for that included a TikTok musical starring Dolly Parton and Doja Cat.
Taco Bell is the No. 4 U.S. restaurant chain by sales, raking in $12.9 billion in 2022 U.S. systemwide sales, according to Nation’s Restaurant News ranking. It is the largest U.S. brand of Yum Brands Inc., which also owns KFC, Pizza Hut and The Habit Burger Grill. Taco Bell has been focusing on breakfast lately, with help from ads starring Pete Davidson. Sales of Taco Bell’s breakfast burritos and egg-stuffed quesadillas jumped 9% in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to the third quarter.
The chain has also made recent headlines for filing a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office challenging Taco John's longstanding “Taco Tuesday” trademark. Taco Bell’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery defended Taco Bell's position while fielding questions from fans on Reddit in May.
“The love our fans and team members have for Taco Bell is extraordinary and means we’re in a unique position to push the limits on culture and become a brand that inspires and enables the world to Live Más,” Tresvant said in a statement. “I’m grateful to have worked alongside Mark, and I’m incredibly honored and excited to continue partnering with our talented team and amazing franchisees on Taco Bell’s magic formula of brand buzz, innovation, value and digital initiatives to deliver industry-leading results in the U.S. and internationally.”
