Jim Hyatt, president and chief executive officer of Church’s Chicken, announced today that Robert Crews will serve as the executive vice president, chief marketing officer for Church’s Chicken. He will report directly to Hyatt.

Crews joins Church’s from The Wendy’s Company, where he led the international marketing team and product development around the globe. In his new position at Church’s, Crews will be responsible for marketing, advertising, and new product development. He will play an integral role in the strategic growth and positioning of the Church’s brand.

“Rob has a proven track record of growing sales and developing effective marketing programs that deliver impactful results,” Hyatt says. “His reputation and skill set will bring a tremendous amount of value to the brand. Rob joining Church’s management team strengthens our commitment to providing the best products and services to all our stakeholders.”

Asked about his new opportunity at Church’s, Crews says, “I’m very excited to join Church’s and looking forward to working with our franchisees, restaurant support teams, and valued partners to contribute to the success of the brand and drive results system-wide.”

Previously, Crews was the chief marketing officer for RARE Hospitality, Inc. that included LongHorn Steakhouse and Capital Grille, where he repositioned the brand and implemented advertising and pricing changes and new products resulting in growth in guest transactions and same-store sales.

Crews was also the chief marketing officer at Sonny’s Franchise Company, a mid-scale barbecue concept. He held the same position at Grill Concepts, Inc., marketing Daily Grill, a casual-dining brand, and The Grill on the Alley, a fine-dining brand.   

Before joining Wendy’s, Rob founded C Results Marketing, where he did extensive work with well-known restaurant clients including Arby’s and California Pizza Kitchen to improve profitability by building results-driven pricing strategies.

Crews holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in economics and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Iowa.