Smashburger, the national better-burger restaurant, announced the appointment of Josh Kern to the position of chief marketing officer. Kern brings a wealth of experience in developing and executing marketing strategies and will be responsible for driving the strategic direction of Smashburger’s brand efforts to support the company’s continued growth.

“I am pleased to welcome Josh to the Smashburger team and believe his expertise in successfully defining and driving the direction of accomplished restaurant, retail, and consumer brands will be invaluable as we continue to grow our better burger footprint across the country and internationally,” says Scott Crane, CEO of Smashburger. “With his proven skills, disciplined approach and enthusiasm for Smashburger, he is the ideal candidate to lead our passionate marketing team, and I look forward to Josh’s contributions to the brand’s success.”

Prior to joining Smashburger, Kern served as CMO for Smashburger owner Consumer Capital Partners, where he was responsible for launching and driving marketing strategy for a variety of its signature consumer endeavors, including restaurant concepts Live Basil Pizza and Tom's Urban, and global cycling race USA Pro Challenge. Previously, Kern served as executive vice president of commercial sales for The Comex Group and vice president of marketing at American Blue Ribbon Holdings, formerly Vicorp Restaurants. Earlier in his career, he held the position of vice president of marketing at Quiznos, where he drove decision-making in all areas of marketing, positioning, strategy, and communications.