Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN – News), the parent company of Wendy’s International, Inc. and Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., franchisors of the Wendy’s and Arby’s restaurant systems, confirmed today its executive leadership team. As previously announced, the merger between Triarc Companies, Inc. and Wendy’s International, Inc. was completed on September 29, 2008.
Roland C. Smith is President and CEO and a member of the Company’s board of directors. Previously, Mr. Smith was a director and Chief Executive Officer of Triarc Companies, Inc. and he was Chief Executive Officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (“ARG”) from April 2006 to September 2008. Mr. Smith also served as President of ARG from April 2006 to June 2006. Mr. Smith served as President and Chief Executive Officer of American Golf Corp. and National Golf Properties from February 2003 to November 2005. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc. from April 1999 to January 2003. Mr. Smith served as President and Chief Executive Officer of ARG’s predecessor, Arby’s, Inc., from February 1997 to April 1999. Mr. Smith also serves as a director of Carmike Cinemas, Inc., is a trustee of The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and a national trustee for of Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Stephen E. Hare is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Hare was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Triarc from September 2007 through September 2008. Mr. Hare also served as Chief Financial Officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. since June 2006. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President of Cadmus Communications Corp. and the President of Publisher Services Group, a division of Cadmus, from January 2003 to June 2006. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cadmus from September 2001 to January 2003. From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Hare was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AMF Bowling Worldwide, where he also was a member of the Board of Directors. From 1990 to 1996, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of James River Corp.
J. David Karam is President of Wendy’s International, Inc. Mr. Karam has been President of Wendy’s since September 2008. Previously, Mr. Karam served as the President of Cedar Enterprises, Inc., a 135-unit franchisee of Wendy’s that has operations in Las Vegas, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Seattle and Connecticut since 1989. Mr. Karam served as Vice President of Finance for Cedar Enterprises, Inc. from 1986 to 1989. Prior to joining Cedar Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Karam was a Senior Auditor with Touche Ross & Company.
Thomas A. Garrett is President and CEO of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. Mr. Garrett was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Triarc from September 2007 through September 2008. Previously, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. Mr. Garrett served as Chief Operating Officer of ARG following Triarc’s acquisition of the RTM Restaurant Group in July 2005 to June 2006. From June 2003 to July 2005, Mr. Garrett served as President of RTM, and from May 2000 to June 2003, he served as Chief Operating Officer of RTM. Mr. Garrett is the chairman of the Arby’s Foundation board of trustees.
Sharron L. Barton is Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. Ms. Barton was Chief Administrative Officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. from July 2005, following Triarc’s acquisition of RTM Restaurant Group, Inc. (“RTM”), through September 2008. Previously, she served as RTM’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer from June 2001 to July 2005. Ms. Barton began with RTM in 1977. Ms. Barton also serves as a trustee of the Arby’s Foundation.
Nils H. Okeson is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Mr. Okeson was Senior Vice President and Secretary of Triarc from September 2007 through September 2008. He also served as Associate General Counsel of Triarc in 2007. Previously, Mr. Okeson served as General Counsel of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. since October 2005. Prior to joining ARG, he was a partner of Alston & Bird, LLP, a law firm he joined in 1990.
John D. Barker is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer and has held the position for Wendy’s/Arby’s Group since September 2008. Mr. Barker previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations at Wendy’s, and joined the company in May 1996 as Vice President of Investor Relations. Mr. Barker was Manager of Investor Relations and Financial Communications for American Greetings Corp. in Cleveland from 1992-1996. He held positions as a business editor for The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland, Business Editor for The Beaver County Times near Pittsburgh, and News Desk Editor for The Observer-Reporter in Washington, PA. Mr. Barker is a trustee of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Steven B. Graham is Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Graham was Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Triarc from September 2007 through September 2008. Mr. Graham also served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. From October 2006 through December 2006, he served as Vice President, Assistant Corporate Controller of ARG. Mr. Graham served as Corporate Controller at Princeton Review LLC from April 2006 to September 2006. Previously, he served as Vice President-Controller of Sbarro, Inc. from January 2000 to March 2004 and as Controller of Sbarro, Inc. from April 1994 to January 2000.
Other senior officers of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group include:
* Daniel T. Collins, Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
* James C. Hartenstein, Senior Vice President of International
* Wendy E. Henderson, Senior Vice President of Risk Management and Total Rewards
* J. Cletus McGinty, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
* J. David Pipes, Senior Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis
* Don Zimmerman, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer