Wingstop Restaurants Inc. announced the appointment of Bill Engen as chief operating officer, effective immediately.

“Bill is a dynamic leader who brings a wealth of operations and management expertise to Wingstop,” says Charlie Morrison, Wingstop president and CEO. “We’re opening restaurants at record pace both in the U.S. and abroad, and Bill will be a tremendous asset to our team and to our franchisees as we continue to drive dramatic growth in both restaurant count and sales.”

Engen takes over for Bill Knight, who is retiring after leading the Wingstop operations team for 11 years. “Bill Knight’s leadership helped take Wingstop from a regional brand to a national player,” Morrison says. “He leaves a tremendous mark on this brand.”

Engen brings more than 15 years of leadership and management experience to his new post, including executive management positions with 7-Eleven Inc. and Circuit City Inc.

Most recently Engen served as senior vice president of east operations and division vice president at 7-Eleven Inc., directing operations for more than 4,000 franchised locations representing half of all domestics business with $7 billion in annual merchandise sales.

Prior to 7-Eleven, Engen spent a decade at Circuit City Stores Inc., where he held several executive positions, including vice president of retail operations, and oversaw the retail giant’s operations for more than 700 locations.

"Wingstop is well positioned to further establish itself as one of the dominant brands in the fast-casual segment, and I am incredibly excited to join the team,” Engen says.

Engen joins Wingstop during a year of record-setting new restaurant openings and the 11th consecutive year of same store sales growth.

With a sole focus on cooked-to-order chicken, the Wingstop menu features traditional and boneless wings as well as strips all sauced and tossed in 11 original flavors, including fan-favorites Mango Habanero, Garlic Parmesan, and Original Hot.