Pizza Express names Paula MacKenzie as CEO
Most recently, MacKenzie led the KFC business, part of Yum! Brands, in the UK and Ireland as MD
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PizzaExpress has announced the appointment of Paula MacKenzie as CEO, joining the company on Monday 6 June.
It said MacKenzie has over 20 years’ experience in transforming Food and Drinks businesses by “unlocking the power of brands”. She has worked for some of the world’s most recognised and valued companies including KFC, Diageo, GSK and innocent.
Most recently, MacKenzie led the KFC business, part of Yum! Brands, in the UK and Ireland as MD, overseeing many transformational aspects of the business including the growth of Delivery and E-commerce.
She worked for Yum! Brands for 11 years in a range of senior executive roles including CFO, chief development officer and CMO. She is also a NED at B&M retail and a member of the advisory board for Pennies.
Pizza Express added MacKenzie is “well-known for building talented, high-performing teams and empowering them to deliver bold, courageous work”. As CEO she will lead a team of 10,000 people and work with the management team to fuel the next stage of growth for PizzaExpress – from digital transformation including the growth of the loyalty app to restaurant refurbishment.
Allan Leighton, chairman of PizzaExpress, said: “We are delighted that Paula will join the PizzaExpress team as CEO, she has a terrific track record of performance and importantly is a champion of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
“I would like to thank Zoe Bowley and Jo Bennett for jointly leading the business during this interim period. Paula is joining at an exciting time for PizzaExpress and will work with our leadership team to drive priorities for growth, including an increased customer focus led by rapid digital transformation.”
MacKenzie added: “PizzaExpress is a much loved, iconic brand, that holds a special place in the nation’s heart. As someone who thrives on bringing brands to life, I’m thrilled to be working with Allan and the whole team at PizzaExpress leading this brand and business through its next chapter of growth.
“I cannot wait to get started and look forward to personally welcoming customers into our restaurants at a time where we are all reconnecting with the magic of eating out.”
