Wendy's promotes supply chain leader to president, U.S.
A quick-serve hamburger giant has named a new president amid its hunt for a new chief executive.
The Wendy’s Company has announced the appointment of Pete Suerken as president, U.S., effective today. He will report to interim CEO Ken Cook and serve on the Wendy's senior leadership team.
Suerken succeeds Abigail Pringle, who has served as president, U.S. since 2024 and will depart the company in the coming weeks to pursue other opportunities after a transition period with Suerken.
The move comes weeks after Wendy’s announced the departure of Kirk Tanner, who left the company to serve as chief executive of The Hershey Company.
[READ MORE: Wendy’s CEO to leave for new post; interim chief named]
Suerken has served as president and CEO of Wendy's Quality Supply Chain Co-op (QSCC), the independent purchasing cooperative for the Wendy's system, since 2021. QSCC works closely with company operators and franchisees, leading supply chain and distribution activities for Wendy's restaurants around the globe.
"Delivering exceptional customer experiences, increasing restaurant-level profitability and accelerating growth are crucial priorities for our U.S. business," said Cook, who has served as chief financial officer since December 2024. "I am confident Pete will lead our business with operational excellence and intensity, helping us achieve our long-term strategic priorities to create value for our franchisees, employees and shareholders."
Prior to joining QSCC, Suerken served as president of Resin Technology Inc. (RTI), a packaging and materials provider. Prior to his time at RTI, Pete spent 13 years at Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, the co-op of Yum! Brands.
"The opportunity to lead the U.S. business for this iconic brand is exciting and humbling," said Suerken. "I have had the privilege to serve our franchisees and company operators as CEO of QSCC for the past five years and now look forward to working with them as president, U.S. to drive profitable growth for our restaurants while continuing to build a high-performance culture and best-in-class customer experience."
Founded in 1969 and based in Dublin, Ohio, Wendy’s operates over 7,000 restaurants worldwide.
