Finger Lickin' Good News for Yum! Brands: Chris Turner Steps Up as CEO
Yum! Brands announces its CFO as the incoming CEO, with the current CEO stepping down.
You heard it straight from the horse's mouth, folks! Yum! Brands (YUM) has a new big cheese, and it's none other than Chris Turner. Starting October 1, 2025, he'll be taking the reins from the retiring David Gibbs, who's been CEO since 2020 and worked for Yum! for an impressive 37 years [1][2][3].
Gibbs made his exit plans known to the board back in March, stating his intention to step down in the following year. Latest news indicates he'll be calling it quits at the end of September. Don't fret though—Gibbs will stick around as an advisor up until the end of 2026 [2].
Turner has already made quite the name for himself within Yum! Brands; since joining as CFO in 2019, he's also held the title of Chief Franchise Officer. He's a powerhouse when it comes to managing finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, franchise standards, and support, as well as spearheading initiatives such as the company's digital and technology transformation [1][2][3]. You might've heard of Byte by Yum—an AI-driven restaurant technology platform—or KFC's Saucy, both of which are Turner's babies too.
In case you're wondering how things are going with the company, Yum! Brands recently reported a 12% increase in first-quarter revenue compared to the same period last year, with same-store sales rising at KFC and Taco Bell, albeit declining 2% at Pizza Hut [3]. Shares were down less than 1% Tuesday morning but have been up about 5% since the start of the year.
Stay tuned as we continue to bring you updates on Yum! Brands' journey with its new boss at the helm!
Looking for more insights? Check out our website for all the juicy details on Turner and the latest developments at Yum! Brands!
Turner's new role as CEO of Yum! Brands, effective from October 1, 2025, expands his responsibilities beyond being the CFO, encompassing finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, and business support, among others [1][2][3]. In addition to his expertise in managing the company's internal affairs, he has also been instrumental in driving digital transformation and introductions like Byte by Yum and KFC's Saucy, initiatives that tokenize concepts within the fast-food industry [1][2][3]. Nevertheless, Gibbs' upcoming advisory role until the end of 2026 ensures a smooth transition within the finance and business sectors of Yum! Brands [2].
