After five years of successfully leading brand growth as vice president of marketing, Julie Fussner has been named chief marketing officer at Culver Franchising System, Inc. Fussner is the first person to hold the CMO title in the company’s 38-year history.
Fussner’s appointment to the CMO role comes as Culver’s continues to expand its footprint. She has played a pivotal role in strategizing and overseeing this impressive brand growth, including the opening of at least 50 new restaurants in each of the past three years.
“I’m honored to have earned the trust and respect of my colleagues here at Culver’s and to be named our CMO,” says Fussner. “I look forward to continuing to build the brand our guests across the country love so dearly.”
Fussner arrived at Culver’s in February of 2017 with nearly two decades of sales and marketing experience in multiple industries. During her time in the VP of marketing role, she led the Culver’s marketing team in areas including brand strategy, creative development, media planning, communications and more.
In her time at Culver’s, Fussner has overseen several key marketing initiatives, including the unveiling of the guest hit CurderBurger in 2021 and the launch of Culver’s evolved Welcome to Delicious integrated marketing campaign in 2022. Since her arrival, the chain has expanded from 616 locally owned and operated restaurants in 24 states to nearly 900 locations in 26 states today.
