KFC names new chief marketing, development officer
World-famous fried chicken chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has added one of its veteran talents to its U.S. C-suite.
KFC has named Catherine Tan-Gillespie to the roles of chief marketing officer and chief development officer for KFC U.S. She joinis from KFC Canada where she has served as president and general manager since 2022. Tan-Gillespie will report to Tarun Lal, president of KFC U.S.
In her new roles, Tan-Gillespie will “develop and implement innovative marketing strategies” to return the business to growth in the U.S. This includes oversight of all integrated marketing, advertising, public relations, media and consumer insights, as well as KFC's digital initiatives. She will also oversee food innovation and commercialization, aligning new product innovation efforts across the organization, new restaurant development, existing restaurant redevelopment and asset design for the U.S.
Before joining KFC Canada, Tan-Gillespie previously served as chief marketing officer for the South Pacific region, and then as KFC Global chief marketing officer. She has been with the company for a total of nine years.
Prior to KFC, Tan-Gillespie served in various marketing roles in food, working for Frito-Lay, Goodman Fielder, and Dairy Farmers, and in entertainment, working for Sony and Universal Pictures.
“Tan-Gillespie is a seasoned leader with a proven record of building brands and delivering compelling marketing initiatives that deliver measurable bottom-line impact,” said Lal. “By combining marketing and development roles into one, we are acknowledging the importance of the customer experience in our restaurants to overall brand perception and doubling down on our commitments to getting both right.”
A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., KFC Corporation operates more than 29,000 KFC restaurants in nearly 150 countries and territories around the world.
