Burger King and Popeyes parent company Restaurant Brands International has named Joshua Kobza as CEO, effective March 1. The company’s board of directors announced the appointment Tuesday morning prior to the company’s earnings call.
Kobza has held increasingly senior roles with the company over the last 11 years, including chief financial officer from 2013-2018, chief technology officer and development officer from 2018-2019 and, most recently, chief operating officer. Throughout his time at RBI, he has overseen strategy, technology, human resources, global procurement, supply chain and international development, and was integral to the acquisitions of Tim Hortons in 2014, Popeyes in 2017 and Firehouse Subs in 2021.
Kobza will report to Patrick Doyle, former Domino’s CEO who was named executive chairman of RBI in November. Current CEO José Cil will remain with the company for one year as an advisor and assist in the transition.
"Over the past several years, the board of directors has worked with management to build a thoughtful succession plan for key positions, so this is a natural transition for Josh to lead our next phase of growth," Doyle said in a statement. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank José for his unwavering dedication and passion for growing our restaurant brands and for the progress we have made, most recently evidenced by our latest quarterly results.”
Cil was appointed CEO of the company in January 2019, and previously served as president, Burger King since December 2014.
"We've made great progress over the past few years and I'm very proud of the team we have built at RBI. I've worked closely with Josh for many years and I am looking forward to supporting him through this transition as we work to accelerate our business further," he said in a statement.
In a statement, Kobza said he is excited to work with RBI’s brand presidents to accelerate growth within the system. One of those focus areas will be Burger King U.S. In a bid to spur franchisee growth and system sales, the chain. announced a “Reclaim the Flame” initiative in September, which includes plans to invest $400 million over the next two years in advertising, digital platforms, technology, remodels and relocations.
RBI includes about 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries through the Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs brands. RBI will report its Q4 2022 earnings this morning.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]