Chick-fil-A on Thursday named Susannah Frost its new president, the sixth person to be named to the position in the chain’s history.
Frost will “focus on providing strategic clarity in the core business” so Chick-fil-A can “sustain healthy growth.” Andrew Cathy, who announced the move on Thursday, will focus on overall strategic direction and culture.
Frost is a 17-year Chick-fil-A veteran. She had been a real estate attorney before she joined the Atlanta-based chicken sandwich chain in 2007. She rose through the legal department, restaurant development and operations and currently leads restaurant development and field operations, overseeing a portfolio of more than 3,000 locations.
“Susannah has demonstrated tremendous leadership throughout the business and has the range of expertise that will help the company continue growing with care and confidence,” Cathy said in a statement.
He said that, after three years of leading the company, “the timing is right to expand our leadership capabilities to include a president who will work closely with me and our executive committee to steward our domestic and global expansion.”
Frost will take over as president of one of the industry’s most successful restaurant chains. Chick-fil-A’s system sales increased 14.7% last year to $21.6 billion in the U.S., according to the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.
That makes it the third-largest chain in the U.S.
Cathy, the grandson of founder Truett Cathy, was named CEO three years ago.
Frost said that Chick-fil-A has “the opportunity to scale care with excellence across 3,000-plus restaurants and international markets.”
That wasn’t the only move Chick-fil-A made on Thursday. The company said that Cliff Robinson, currently the chief people officer, will be chief operating officer. He will now oversee field operations and restaurant development.
Robinson has worked with the company since 1990 and has held various roles at the company, including field operations, restaurant development and then chief people officer.
Both Frost and Robinson will assume their new roles on Oct. 1.
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