LOUISVILLE, KY. — David Gibbs, president of Pizza Hut, U.S., has been tapped to lead Pizza Hut’s global business for Yum! Brands as the division’s chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2015. He succeeds Scott Bergren, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Mr. Gibbs will oversee the brand strategy and performance of the pizza chain on a global scale. Pizza Hut has more than 13,000 restaurants outside of China and India, which are separate reporting divisions, 94% of which are franchised. Annual system sales for the Pizza Hut, Global division exceed $10 billion.
Previously, Mr. Gibbs was president and chief financial officer of Yum! Brands International, chief financial officer of Pizza Hut, and vice-president of development for Yum! U.S.
“David Gibbs is an accomplished leader with a proven track record of success and considerable experience in the restaurant industry,” said David C. Novak, chairman and c.e.o. “He has been a consistent growth driver, has a deep passion for the Pizza Hut brand and lives our culture. Greg Creed, who takes over as c.e.o. of Yum! Brands in January, and I are both confident David will lead Pizza Hut to the next level and widen its gap as the category leader all around the world.”
In addition to his global responsibilities, Mr. Gibbs will retain direct leadership of Pizza Hut in the United States, while Tracy Skeans, chief people officer of Pizza Hut, Global, will become president of Pizza Hut International. In her new role, Ms. Skeans will focus on driving growth at Pizza Hut outside of the United States.
“Tracy is an incredible, well-rounded leader who was the ideal fit for this position,” Mr. Gibbs said. “Her knowledge of our system, our markets and what it takes to win around the world sets us up for huge growth opportunities.”