Aaron White Promoted to Executive Vice
President, Chief People Officer and Wade Allen Returns to
Role as Chief Digital Officer
DALLAS, Oct. 25,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brinker International, Inc.
today announced Aaron White has been
promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer,
Brinker International. In her new
role, White will oversee all aspects of the Team Member experience
for Brinker and Chili's® Grill & Bar, including
recruitment and retention, talent selection, learning and
development, and diversity, equity and inclusion. At an enterprise
level, she will also lead key business priorities such as culinary
operations, restaurant services, Guest engagement and Team Member
relations.
![Aaron White Promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer Aaron White Promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1929537/Brinker_Aaron_White.jpg)
"Given the importance of Team Member and manager retention,
we're moving our people function closer to the operation," said
Kevin Hochman, President and CEO of
Brinker International. "And with previous leadership roles in
PeopleWorks – our HR department – and extensive operations
experience, Aaron was the perfect candidate to help us achieve our
hiring and retention goals and make our positions in the field
easier, more fun and more rewarding."
Aaron joined Chili's as an hourly Team Member and has devoted
her twenty-plus year career serving Chili's restaurant teams and
Guests. In her most recent role as Senior Vice President and
Co-Chief Operating Officer of Chili's, Aaron oversaw operations for
more than 500 restaurants to ensure best-in-class operations and
deliver excellent Guest and Team Member experiences. Her tenure
with the brand has also included roles such as VP, Operations
Services; Sr. Director, PeopleWorks; and Area Director. She earned
her bachelor's degree in psychology and business from the
University of Tennessee.
"I've had a passion for this industry since I started working in
restaurants in high school, and I've always been motivated by
supporting the growth and development of Team Members throughout
their careers," said White. "I'm honored to take on this role and
am ready to tackle our retention goals and redefine our labor model
to better support our operators and Team Members."
In addition, Wade Allen will
return to his role as Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer,
this time with a focus on growing the company's off-premise
business and driving the digital Guest experience online through
the Chili's app, To-Go and Delivery.
"Given the $1 billion in annual
Chili's sales consumed off-premise, it's clear that Guests now view
Chili's as a delicious home meal replacement," Hochman said. "I'm
pleased that Wade has jumped into the opportunity to explore and
determine how we might remove friction from the Team Member and the
Guest experience to continue to drive this important part of our
business."
Allen joined Brinker in 2014 and was previously SVP of
Innovation with oversight of culinary innovation, engineering,
strategic growth, and the development and execution of virtual
brands. He has held multiple leadership roles in technology,
analytics and digital marketing. He will work with the Chili's CMO,
George Felix; CIO, Pankaj Patra; and COO, Doug Comings to identify strategies and plans to
accelerate the Chili's off-premise business, most of which is
transacted digitally.
"My roots are in technology, data security and analytics, and
I'm excited to continue to use technology to transform and improve
the off-premise experience for our Guests," said Allen. "Chili's
has always been a leader in leveraging tech in the industry, and we
will continue to innovate and make strides with ease,
personalization and hospitality at the forefront."
ABOUT BRINKER INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT) is one of the world's
leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili's®
Grill & Bar, Maggiano's Little Italy® and two virtual brands:
It's Just Wings® and Maggiano's® Italian Classics. Founded
by Norman Brinker in Dallas, Texas, we've ventured far from home, but
stayed true to our roots. Brinker owns, operates or franchises more
than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two U.S. territories.
Our passion is making people feel special, and we hope you feel
that passion each time you visit one of our restaurants or invite
us into your home through takeout or delivery. Learn more about
Brinker and its brands at brinker.com.
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SOURCE Brinker International Payroll Company, L.P.