Meg Farren’s path to president of Taco Bell North America ran through JPMorgan, strategy consulting, luxury desserts, grocery retail, and a decade at KFC, where she led a brand turnaround. Then came her biggest move yet: a transatlantic relocation with her family to lead one of the most beloved brands in the world. In a conversation with QSR magazine earlier this year, she reflected on what she has learned along the way.
Listen before you lead
When Farren started at Taco Bell, she skipped the big pronouncements and went on a listening tour, traveling with second- and third-generation franchisees and learning from managers.
“Sometimes you see people come into a new role and feel like they have to prove themselves by telling others what they should be doing,” Farren says. “But the heart of great trust and collaboration is an ability to listen really well and slowly start to say, ‘Have we tried this?’”
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Bring your whole self to work
Farren doesn’t pretend the juggle isn’t real, and she doesn’t expect her team to either. Instead, she tries to create space for openness and vulnerability, starting with her own.
“I am a whole person, not just a work person, and most people are juggling the same kinds of trade-offs and priorities at home that I am,” Farren says. “I try to be a role model to my team that yes, we’re all trying to make our lives work.”
Stay healthily dissatisfied
Taco Bell can turn a great idea around in two weeks, which is rare for a company of its size. Farren credits a culture that never settles and isn’t afraid to disrupt the status quo through thoughtful innovation.
“Taco Bell operates like an $18 billion startup, and to execute brilliantly at our size requires a certain culture and level of partnership across the entire business,” Farren says. “There is this constant healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo, and every franchisee can tell you that we are relentlessly innovating for the next generation of growth.”
Never underestimate a thank-you
To Farren, culture isn’t a corporate slogan. It’s a set of daily behaviors, shaped at every level of the organization in ways seen and unseen, and recognition is one of the most powerful.
“You don’t always show up in your best form every day,” Farren says, “but I do try to make sure all voices are heard in the room, that I foster a culture of recognition, and I’m saying ‘thank you’ and recognizing the contributions of others.”
Take the big leap, even when life is messy
Farren spent six months commuting from London while her kids finished the school year, building relationships over Zoom while managing what she calls “life admin” and big emotions.
“I was getting to know a new organization and learning how to navigate these relationships while driving great performance and delivering well for your team and customers—all while managing a huge family transition,” Farren reflects. “I have depths of resilience, and I’ve been lucky to land with a team who cares about me … it’s been a big step up, but totally worth it.”
Hear more from Farren live in Scottsdale. She will deliver the afternoon keynote at WiRL 2027, Feb. 7-9, 2027, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, alongside fellow keynoters Nivera Wallani and Amy Ellis Durini of KFC. WiRL has sold out three years running, and registrations are outpacing every previous year.
