Yum Brands appoints new CEO

Yum Brands has announced that chief financial and franchise officer Chris Turner will take over the role of chief executive from 1 October 2025.

Turner will succeed current chief executive David Gibbs, who plans to retire after 37 years with the company. Gibbs will remain in post until the end of September and serve as an adviser until the end of 2026.

Turner has held the role of chief financial officer since 2019 and was given additional franchise responsibilities in 2024. He has overseen Yum Brands’ corporate strategy, supply chain, and franchise operations, and led the development of initiatives such as the Byte by Yum! artificial intelligence platform and Saucy by KFC, a new restaurant format.

Before joining Yum Brands, Turner held senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, including responsibility for its retail and e-commerce business with Walmart in the US and in more than 25 other countries. He previously spent 13 years at McKinsey and Co, where he was a partner in its Dallas office.

Turner said: “I’m deeply honoured to step into the role of CEO at Yum Brands and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead this global company with such iconic brands.

“I want to sincerely thank David Gibbs for his exceptional leadership and partnership. I’m excited to build on all that we’ve accomplished together alongside our talented teams and in partnership with our franchisees around the world.”

Gibbs became chief executive in January 2020. During his tenure, Yum Brands accelerated its digital transformation, expanded its global footprint to nearly 61,000 units and more than $30bn (£22.2bn) in annual digital sales, and introduced a new supply chain centre of excellence. He also led the business through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gibbs said: “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead Yum Brands and work with such passionate, talented people across our global system throughout my almost 37 years with the company.

“During my time partnering with Chris, he’s demonstrated deep knowledge of our business, strong values and a clear commitment to our growth. I can’t think of a better person to guide Yum into its next chapter.”

Brian Cornell, non-executive chairman of the Yum Brands board, added: “We are thrilled to appoint Chris as the next CEO – a proven leader with a deep understanding of the business, strategic expertise, financial acumen and unique perspectives that will help accelerate our growth.”