Taco Bueno announced the appointment of Mary Ellen Mullins to the role of chief people officer, which took effect in May. Mullins joins Taco Bueno with 30 years of experience in the quick-serve restaurant industry. Her work background includes serving as the senior director of human resources for Sonic Restaurants Inc. and serving in various human resources leadership roles with Yum! Brands for over 25 years, leading teams providing HR and training support to company and franchise operations.

During her tenure at Sonic, Mullins was responsible for the development and implementation of all human resources initiatives, systems and processes for company operated restaurants. She also redesigned the employee relations process, improved training platform and launched an inclusive engagement program for employees. Serving as the team leader for HR business partners, she helped provide support for over 400 drive-in locations and reaching more than 10,000 employees nationwide.

“Her phenomenal experience in the [quick-service] world, providing world-class support to her internal clients and serving as an inspirational leader to her teams, will add incredible value to the Taco Bueno team,” says Taco Bueno CEO Omar Janjua.

As chief human resources officer, Mullins will oversee a full range of HR functions for Taco Bueno, including talent acquisition, employee capability and development, employee experience and retention, among other notable duties. As part of her role, she will report directly to the CEO and serve as a key member of the executive team. Additionally, Mullins will lead the human resources strategy to attract, develop, engage and reward best-in-class talent for Taco Bueno.