Staffing
Whataburger promotes president to CEO
August 3, 2020
Whataburger President Ed Nelson has added CEO to his title after the company promoted him Aug. 1.
The 16-year brand veteran has served as president since July 2019 and has worked to preserve the 70-year-old company's legacy while also evolving it through a mix of innovation and growth, according to a company press release. Under his leadership, Whataburger, for example, has launched curbside and delivery service across its 10-state footprint; introduced three limited-time offer burgers, built seven restaurants with nine more planned by the end of the year, unveiled modern restaurant designs, created a new restaurant prototype and announced plans to begin franchising for the first time in 20 years.
"As Whataburger celebrates 70 years, it's fitting that Ed Nelson is named CEO of the brand. Ed's passion and commitment for Whataburger is unwavering. His energy and visionary leadership have been absolutely critical over the last 12 months," Tiffany Hagge, Whataburger board member and partner at BDT Capital Partners, said in a press release. "Despite the challenging environment presented by COVID-19, Whataburger's sales have surpassed existing records, and the restaurant teams have achieved new levels of operational success, broadly outperforming the industry. Ed has been an exceptional leader of the Whataburger team through this adversity, while staying true to the company's long legacy of serving up amazing burgers and hospitality — and, most importantly, maintaining Whataburger's culture of strong family values, throughout."
While operating a 24/7 command center to keep employees and customers safe during COVID, Whataburger temporarily closed its dining rooms and ramped up sales through its curbside, online app and delivery services. Nelson also helped shift the company mindset to be more operationally efficient in support of its 837 restaurants.
"Our entire leadership team rolled up their sleeves and implemented significant change to keep the business thriving and our brand intact. I am so proud of the work our employees — who we call family members — have done to keep the spirit of Whataburger alive during difficult times," Nelson said. "It's my honor to be named CEO of this iconic brand. I always believe that Whataburger is a place where goodness lives, and that has been proven time and time again from the many emails our customers have sent saying that Whataburger has been 'there for them' during this trying time."
Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the brand has nearly 850 locations.
Photo courtesy of Whataburger.
