WYMAN ROBERTS TO RETIRE, KEVIN HOCHMAN
APPOINTED AS SUCCESSOR
DALLAS, May 16, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) announced
today that Wyman Roberts will retire
as Chief Executive Officer and President of the company, President
of Chili's® Grill & Bar and as a member of the Board
of Directors effective June 5, 2022.
Roberts, 63, will continue to serve the company in an advisory role
for 12 months as part of the company's succession plan.
The Board of Directors appointed Kevin
Hochman, 48, as President and CEO of Brinker International,
President of Chili's, and as a member of the Board of Directors
effective June 6, 2022.
"After an extended search for a successor, the Board is pleased
to have Kevin serve as Brinker's next CEO," said Joe DePinto, Chairman of the Board. "Kevin is a
talented leader and innovative thinker with strategic vision,
passion and a successful track record of building brands. We are
confident he will create shareholder value and maintain the
company's culture as we work to bring Chili's, Maggiano's and our
virtual brands to even more Guests."
"On behalf of the Board of Directors and tens of thousands of
Team Members, I want to thank Wyman for his dedication and
leadership at Brinker for the last 17 years," said DePinto. "Wyman
is a leader with that special ability to make big strategic
decisions in a way that makes individual Guests feel special at
tables in our restaurants around the world. His investment in
people and the next generation of leaders, alongside his investment
in operating systems and new technologies, have grown our brands
through unpredictable challenges and set up our company for
continued success in the future. Wyman leaves a legacy that will
continue to positively impact Brinker, its Team Members and Guests
for years to come."
Roberts has served as Chief Executive Officer and President of
the company and as a member of the Board of Directors since
January 2013, and in various other
executive roles with the company since August 2005, including President of Chili's,
Chief Marketing Officer of Brinker and President of Maggiano's
Little Italy®.
"Since starting with Brinker 17 years ago, I have been inspired
by the passion for making Guests feel special that our ChiliHeads,
Maggiano's Teammates and BrinkerHeads bring to our restaurants
every single day," said Roberts. "It has been a privilege to lead
and be a part of this great company. I am impressed with Kevin's
character and leadership skills, and I look forward to seeing him
take our company to the next level of success as we make this
transition."
Known as an exceptional brand builder and innovation leader,
Hochman brings substantial experience and expertise to Brinker.
Hochman most recently served as President and Chief Concept Officer
of KFC, U.S., having been appointed to that position in
March 2017. He concurrently served as
President of Pizza Hut, U.S. from December
2019 to January 2022, and
previously served as Chief Marketing Officer of KFC, U.S. from
January 2014 to February 2017. Prior to that Hochman worked at
Procter & Gamble for more than 18 years in various brand
management and marketing roles.
"I am honored to be appointed Brinker's President and CEO and
appreciate the support of Wyman and the Board," said Hochman. "I've
been very impressed with our operations and technology and see huge
potential for growing our iconic Chili's and Maggiano's brands.
Brinker's mission is about making people feel special, and that's
something I've tried to do throughout my career. I look forward to
working with our Brinker team to accelerate growth by creating
lasting and more frequent connections with our Guests and Team
Members."
About Brinker International, Inc.
Brinker
International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) is one of the world's leading
casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili's® Grill &
Bar, Maggiano's Little Italy® and two virtual brands: It's Just
Wings® and Maggiano's® Italian Classics. Founded by Norman Brinker in Dallas, Texas, we've ventured far from home,
but stayed true to our roots. Brinker owns, operates or franchises
more than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two U.S.
territories. Our passion is making people feel special, and we hope
you feel that passion each time you visit one of our restaurants or
invite us into your home through takeout or delivery. Learn more
about Brinker and its brands at brinker.com.
Forward Looking Statements
The statements and tables contained in this release that are not
historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all forward-looking
statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
forward-looking statements are made only based on our current plans
and expectations as of the date such statements are made, and we
undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances arising after the date such
statements are made. Forward-looking statements are neither
predictions nor guarantees of future events or performance and are
subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results
to differ materially from our historical results or from those
projected in forward-looking statements. Such risks and
uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainty of the
magnitude, duration, geographic reach and impact of the coronavirus
("COVID-19") pandemic on local, national and global economies; the
current, and uncertain future, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and
governments' responses to it on our industry, business, growth,
reputation, projections, prospects, financial condition,
operations, cash flows, and liquidity; the impact of competition;
changes in consumer preferences; consumer perception of food
safety; reduced disposable income; unfavorable publicity; increased
minimum wages; governmental regulations; the impact of mergers,
acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic transactions; the
Company's ability to meet its business strategy plan; loss of key
management personnel; failure to hire and retain high-quality
restaurant management; the impact of social media; failure to
protect the security of data of our guests and team members;
product availability; regional business and economic conditions;
litigation; franchisee success; inflation; changes in the retail
industry; technology failures; failure to protect our intellectual
property; outsourcing; impairment of goodwill or assets; failure to
maintain effective internal control over financial reporting;
actions of activist shareholders; adverse weather conditions;
terrorist acts; health epidemics or pandemics (such as COVID-19);
and tax reform; as well as the risks and uncertainties described in
"Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and future filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
![Wyman Roberts will retire as Chief Executive Officer and President of the company, President of Chili's® Grill & Bar and as a member of the Board of Directors effective June 5, 2022. Wyman Roberts will retire as Chief Executive Officer and President of the company, President of Chili's® Grill & Bar and as a member of the Board of Directors effective June 5, 2022.](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1819004/Brinker_International_Wyman_Roberts.jpg)
![Brinker International, Inc. (PRNewsfoto/Brinker International, Inc.) Brinker International, Inc. (PRNewsfoto/Brinker International, Inc.)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/726858/Brinker_Intl_Logo.jpg)
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SOURCE Brinker International Payroll Company, L.P.