Staffing

Focus Brands adds 4 execs to leadership team

September 3, 2020

Focus Brands has made four key leadership appointments across its system and at two of its fast casual brands — Moe's Southwest Grill and Schlotzky's.

"As we continue to move our company and brands into the future, we must invest in key talent necessary to propel our brands forward and enhance services provided to our guests and franchisees," Focus Brands CEO Jim Holthouser said in a company press release. "I'm thrilled we have such highly regarded tenured industry executives within our four walls and that we continue to attract exceptional leaders to grow our teams."

To power enhanced brand capabilities and outcomes, Focus Brands — which also owns It also owns Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba and McAlister's Deli — has organized its brands into categories. In two newly created roles, Kristen Hartman has been promoted to president, Specialty Brands (Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, and Jamba), while Erik Hess has been promoted to president, Restaurant Brands (McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky's).

Hartman, current president of Cinnabon and Carvel, joined Focus in 2012. With more than 20 years in the quick service restaurant industry, she has held several prominent leadership roles within Focus spanning marketing strategy, innovation, consumer insights, concept development, and licensing for the entire Focus portfolio of brands.

Hess, former president of Moe's, came to the company in 2019 with more than 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, including key executive roles at McDonald's globally, domestically and internationally. Over the course of his career he has led menu management and new product development, strategy and insights, customer experience innovation, and restaurant development.

Anissa Mandell, who has been promoted to senior vice president of Supply Chain at Focus Brands, steps into the role after serving as vice president of Focus Brands Supply Chain and will oversee the strategic planning framework for supply chain, distribution, logistics and quality assurance functions as well as planning and directing all aspects of policies, objectives and initiatives for each supply chain function to ensure adaptable and scalable solutions.

In addition, Focus has welcomed two executives to drive brand-level growth and innovation beginning with Alex Williams, who joins Moe's Southwest Grill as chief brand officer. He has nearly 30 years of leadership experience in the oil and gas and food and beverage industries. Williams will use his franchising and operations leadership skills and experience driving business results to continue building the Moe's brand, according to the release.

Williams previously ran Outback Steakhouse in the Midwest region for Bloomin' Brands, and served as vice president of Operations for Fleming's Prime Steakhouse nationally. He has also spent time leading franchising, innovation and brand experience at McDonald's and held roles in operations, supply chain, and distribution for Starbucks Corporation and ExxonMobil.

Seth Freeman has joined Schlotzsky's as vice president of Marketing, with experience across the consumer-packaged goods, hospitality and restaurant industries. He will oversee the national consumer marketing strategies and programs that drive brand growth and relevance, inclusive of menu development, promotions, demand generation, and the overall Schlotzsky's brand experience.

Prior to joining Schlotzsky's, Freeman was the CMO at Buffalo Wild Wings, where he partnered with franchisees to drive sales and focused on improving the overall guest experience. Freeman has also served in marketing leadership roles at Russell Athletic, The Coca-Cola Company and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Atlanta-based Focus Brands has more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream outlets and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and more than 50 foreign countries.