KFC has created a global chief brand officer position for the first time in its history, appointing Yum Brands veteran Amy Ellis Durini to the role with effect from 1 November.
Durini will oversee brand strategy, loyalty, retail and new concept development and innovation, reporting directly to KFC Global CEO Scott Mezvinsky. She will also work alongside market-level CMOs to modernise the chain’s positioning and customer experience across territories.
The appointment lands in the middle of a global identity overhaul. Yum Brands unveiled a new KFC brand identity in June, a rollout executives have described as requiring coordinated effort across every market the chain operates in.
That transformation runs well beyond the logo. KFC is redesigning restaurants and reworking its menu around boneless chicken, beverages and dipping sauces, drawing on lessons from its Saucy store format.
Durini arrives from Taco Bell, where she has been chief marketing and strategy officer for the international business since 2021. Her work there included Encore Hours, Crossbar Bong, Live Mas Club and the expansion of Taco Con. Before Taco Bell, she spent more than eight years in manager and director roles inside KFC’s international division.
She joins a marketing leadership structure that already includes global CMO Valerie Kubizniak, in post since 2022, who has been steering the refresh of KFC’s most recognisable assets including the Colonel Sanders mascot and the chicken bucket.
Creating a global brand officer post is a familiar move for large restaurant groups trying to impose consistency on operations that have grown fragmented market by market. KFC’s international business has generally outperformed its US arm, where the chain has been working on a turnaround as challengers such as Raising Cane’s win share.
The appointment also comes as Yum Brands reshapes its wider portfolio. The company recently completed the sale of Pizza Hut, a long-running drag on group performance, leaving KFC and Taco Bell as its priority growth brands.
