Cook to Succeed Gunther Plosch Effective
December 2
DUBLIN,
Ohio, Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's
Company (Nasdaq: WEN) today announced the appointment of
Ken Cook as Chief Financial Officer,
effective December 2, 2024. He will
report to President and Chief Executive Officer Kirk Tanner and serve on the Wendy's Senior
Leadership Team. Cook will succeed Gunther
Plosch who has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2016
and will depart the Company at the end of the year after a
transition with Cook.
Cook most recently served as Head of Financial Planning and
Analysis at United Parcel Service and joins Wendy's with 20 years
of experience in roles with increasing responsibility across the
Finance organization. In prior roles at UPS, Cook served as Chief
Financial Officer for the U.S. Domestic segment, leading the
financial planning and execution for the company's largest business
unit, and previously held leadership roles in Investor Relations
and Treasury, along with more than three years as the CFO of
South Asia.
"Driving operational performance and improving restaurant
profitability are critical to our growth trajectory," said
President and CEO Kirk Tanner. "Ken
will play a key role across our initiatives to increase revenue and
expand margins as we enter the next phase of growth in the U.S. and
around the globe, helping to unlock value for our shareholders. I
want to thank GP for his work to improve our system's financial
foundations and processes that have created a stronger organization
and positioned us to build momentum."
"I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Finance
organization of Wendy's as this iconic brand embarks on an
accelerated growth journey," said Ken
Cook. "I look forward to working with the talented Wendy's
system and franchise community to drive profitable growth for our
restaurants, teams, and shareowners."
The Company will release its fourth quarter and full year 2024
results on February 13, 2025 and as
previously announced, will host an Investor Day on March 5, 2025.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains
certain statements that are not historical facts, including
statements regarding our anticipated future performance and growth.
Those statements constitute "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
(the "Reform Act"). The forward-looking statements are based on our
expectations at the time such statements are made, speak only as of
the dates they are made and are susceptible to a number of risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results,
performance or achievements to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These
factors include, but are not limited to, the factors identified in
the "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and
Projections" and "Risk Factors" sections of our Annual Reports on
Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. For all forward-looking statements, the
Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for
forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act.
About Wendy's
Wendy's® was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the
premise, "Quality is our Recipe®," which remains the
guidepost of the Wendy's system. Wendy's is best known for its
made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*,
freshly-prepared salads, and other signature items like chili,
baked potatoes and the Frosty® dessert. The
Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) is committed to doing the right thing
and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This
is most visible through the Company's support of the Dave Thomas
Foundation for Adoption® and its signature Wendy's Wonderful
Kids® program, which seeks to find a loving,
forever home for every child waiting to be adopted from the North
American foster care system. Today, Wendy's and its
franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across over
7,000 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world's
most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on
franchising, connect with us
at www.wendys.com/franchising.
Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for
more information and connect with us on X and Instagram using
@wendys, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendys.
*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada.
Media Contact:
Heidi Schauer
Vice President – Communications, Public Affairs & Customer
Care
(614) 764-3368; heidi.schauer@wendys.com
Investor Contact:
Aaron Broholm
Head of Investor Relations
(614) 764-3345; aaron.broholm@wendys.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-wendys-company-names-ken-cook-chief-financial-officer-302308888.html
SOURCE The Wendy’s Company