Staffing

Chipotle names Scott Boatright interim CEO

Scott Boatright delivers a keynote presentation during the 2020 Fast Casual Executive Summit. Photo: Chipotle

August 14, 2024

After announcing the departure of CEO and Chairman Brian Niccol, Chipotle Mexican Grill appointed COO Scott Boatwright as interim CEO. Niccol, who served as Chipotle's CEO since 2018 and as chairman of the Board since 2020, will leave Aug. 31 to lead Starbucks.

Boatwright, who keynoted the Fast Casual Executive Summit in 2020, joined Chipotle in 2017, and has been instrumental in driving restaurant operations for the company's 120,000 employees and over 3,500 restaurants, according to a statement from Chipotle. He also led the integration of technology into restaurants, built a strong culture aligned to the organization's values, and achieved industry-leading retention rates yielding impressive results and improvements in throughput and the overall guest experience.

"I have the utmost confidence in our five key strategies and I'm excited for the new opportunity to lead the business moving forward," Boatwright said. "We have a world-class organization full of talented leaders who are passionate about our brand and purpose and excited for the long-term opportunity to grow to 7,000 restaurants in North America and expand internationally."

Jack Hartung, who announced his retirement in July from Chipotle in 2025, has agreed to remain with the organization indefinitely as president of strategy, finance and supply chain to ensure a smooth transition. In this role, Hartung will support Boatwright as Interim CEO, and continue his oversight of Adam Rymer, VP of finance and incoming CFO, as well as Carlos Londono, global head of supply chain.

With this leadership change, Scott Maw, Chipotle's lead independent director, has been named Chairman of the Board, effective immediately.

"Thanks to our robust talent planning process, we are well-prepared for events like this due to the deep bench within the organization," Maw said in the announcement. "The board is excited to see other strong leaders expand their roles and provide growth and development for more people in the organization.