Subway, one of the world’s largest restaurant brands, announced leadership transitions that continue to build on the brand’s momentum and drive its transformation journey.
After an 18-year tenure, Subway’s president of North America Trevor Haynes announced that he will leave the company at the end of the calendar year. Haynes, who joined Subway in 2006 as territory manager in Australia, has worked across several continents and held significant leadership positions during his time with the brand, including chief business development officer and interim CEO.
“Trevor has played a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s vision, strengthening our position in the market, and enriching the lives of our guests, franchisees and employees,” says John Chidsey, CEO of Subway. “We’re immensely grateful for his numerous contributions to accelerate our brand transformation strategy in North America and know the positive impact of his leadership will continue to shape Subway for many years to come.”
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Douglas Fry, country director of Subway Canada, will assume the role of president of North America, effective September 5. For the remainder of the year, Fry and Haynes will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition, with Haynes in a strategic advisory role.
In just two years at Subway, Fry has demonstrated success in Canada, as the region continually achieved record-breaking average unit volumes and positive traffic trends. In addition to his strong track record leading Subway Canada, Fry brings more than 20 years of restaurant and consumer packaged goods experience to the position, previously holding senior leadership roles at McDonald’s, Recipe Brands, and Kraft Heinz. The brand is actively working to identify his successor in Canada.
“Doug’s impact in Canada has been nothing short of remarkable, and I’m excited to see him continue building on our growth and progress in North America as he steps into this new role,” Haynes says. “I was honored to play a role in selecting Doug as my successor and I’m confident that he will make a meaningful impact on the brand’s future.”
Subway’s former global CMO Carrie Walsh recently transitioned to a new role as president of EMEA. Walsh is responsible for overseeing all functions across 50 countries and territories with more than 6,200 franchised Subway locations, including operations, finance, marketing, and development. Walsh has been a member of Subway’s executive leadership team for four years and transformed the company’s marketing efforts, bringing thousands of new and lapsed fans back to the brand.
The company’s former EMEA president, Mike Kehoe, will return to the U.S. as global chief development officer—a new role for Subway, focused on setting the global strategy for traditional and nontraditional development. During his tenure in EMEA, Kehoe made significant contributions to the continued development, profitability, and expansion of the Subway brand in the EMEA region. He was also instrumental in international expansion, signing master franchise agreements in seven countries, representing nearly 3,000 future restaurant commitments. Kehoe will assume his new role on October 16.
In addition, Subway promoted Cristina Wells to senior vice president of U.S. marketing. Wells joined the U.S. marketing team in 2021 as vice president of strategy and planning after spending five years with Subway in Canada in both marketing, strategy, and operations roles.
These executive updates come on the heels of Subway announcing its 10th consecutive quarter of positive sales, as it continues to execute against its multi-year transformation journey. The brand also remains focused on smart growth to boost franchisee profitability and protect its position in the market globally.
