Popeyes names a marketer from PepsiCo as the company's new CMO

According to a news release, Popeyes has appointed Bart LaCount as its new chief marketing officer for the United States and Canada. For the fried chicken chain, the CEO will oversee all marketing initiatives and concentrate on increasing traffic and quickening revenue growth.

In a statement, Popeyes North America President Jeff Klein said that Bart brings an incredibly well-rounded marketing background to this position as they aim to deepen brand relevance in communities where Popeyes is loved and expand relevance where Popeyes should be better known—all as part of the strategic plan developed with and supported by their franchisees.

Prior to his elevation earlier this year, Klein was the chain's CMO. Prior to joining Popeyes, LaCount spent almost 20 years working for PepsiCo. Most recently, he led the hydration and energy portfolios for brands like Gatorade, Aquafina, Rockstar, and others as vice president of worldwide beverage marketing.

Furthermore, Matt Rubin has been elevated by Popeyes to the position of Chief Digital Officer for the United States and Canada. The executive will manage the technology and digital teams responsible for digital growth and visitor experience. Rubin assumed leadership of the restaurant technology team a few months ago and was most recently the chain's vice president of digital.

Mark Shambura, the CMO at Papa Johns, left the company on July 29 to join Panera Bread. LaCount's hiring is the second change in QSR industry marketing in as many weeks.

As part of its most recent earnings report, Popeyes' parent company, Restaurant Brands International, revealed last week that system-wide sales rose 5.0% year over year, with Popeyes experiencing a 4.6% gain in sales. Notwithstanding the short-term consumer difficulties that the entire QSR industry is facing, the earnings exceeded analysts' projections.