Ruby Tuesday Inc. has named David Skena chief marketing officer, the company said Tuesday.
Skena most recently served as PepsiCo Inc. vice president of premium and value brands. He succeeds John Connelly, who left the Maryville, Tenn.-based casual-dining brand in May, according to Connelly’s LinkedIn profile.
“With his extensive strategy and marketing experience, along with his team-oriented leadership style, Dave will be a valued addition to our executive team and will help our marketing organization accelerate our brand transformation efforts,” JJ Buettgen, Ruby Tuesday chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement.
Skena’s background is in consumer packaged goods. At PepsiCo, he was responsible for such brands as Stacy’s Pita Chips and Smartfood popcorn, among others. Prior to PepsiCo, Skena worked at Kraft Foods Inc. in brand management for multiple product lines.
Ruby Tuesday said Skena will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies and initiatives to build brand awareness and customer loyalty through traditional media, digital and social channels.
Todd Burrowes, Ruby Tuesday president and chief operations officer, said in an April 10 third-quarter earning call that former CMO Connelly and his team were working on reshaping the company’s “communication model to reach more guests more often and in ways most comfortable for guests and future guests.”
In the most recent Nation’s Restaurant News Top 100 survey of foodservice sales, Ruby Tuesday ranked No. 45, with nearly $1.2 billion in annual U.S. systemwide sales. The company had ranked No. 42 in the preceding year.
As of March 3, Ruby Tuesday owned, operated and franchised nearly 740 Ruby Tuesday restaurants throughout the United States and international locations. The company also owns, operates and franchises 26 Lime Fresh restaurants.
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