FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. announces the elevation of James C. Neuhauser as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Neuhauser has been an independent director on the FAT Brands Board since its inception in 2017. Mr. Neuhauser, a veteran financial executive with over 30 years of experience in financial and strategic planning and investment banking, will oversee FAT Brands’ accounting and legal departments and focus on the Company’s public traded equities and relationship with investors.
Mr. Neuhauser was formerly a Senior Managing Director in the Private Capital Markets Group of Stifel Nicolas & Company, and before that he served as Chief Investment Officer of FBR & Co., where he was an early member of the firm and had spent 25 years in various roles.
Edward H. Rensi, Chairman of the Board, will transition to Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Rensi, former President and CEO of McDonald’s USA, has been on the FAT Brands Board since its inception and will continue to provide strategic counsel to the global restaurant franchising company.
A new addition to the board is Lynne L. Collier. Ms. Collier will serve as an independent director and brings nearly 30 years of experience in public capital markets, with a focus on the restaurant industry. Most recently, Ms. Collier served as a Managing Director in the Investor Relations Division at ICR Inc. Prior to that, Ms. Collier had a 25-year career in equity research as a sell-side Consumer Analyst including for Loop Capital and Canaccord Genuity.
“Jim and Ed have been tremendous assets to FAT Brands over the last five years as we have reached a whole new level of scale,” says Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of FAT Brands. “I look forward to tapping further into Jim’s deep expertise in the public equity markets. I’m also pleased to welcome Lynne who brings a new skillset to our Board as an experienced restaurant analyst.”