Arkansas native Chris Turner leading Yum! Brands

Chris Turner, who was raised in Dewitt, Ark., has risen through the ranks to lead Yum! Brands, one of the most iconic American food brands in the world.

Turner took the helm as CEO in October after serving as chief financial and franchise officer for Yum! Brands. He replaces David Gibbs, who retired from the company after 37 years.

Yum! Brands is the parent company for KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill.

“I’m deeply honored to step into the role of CEO at Yum! Brands and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead this global company with such iconic brands,” said Turner. “I want to sincerely thank David Gibbs for his exceptional leadership and partnership. I’m excited to build on all that we’ve accomplished together alongside our talented teams and in partnership with our franchisees around the world, as we innovate, grow our brands and continue delivering exceptional experiences for our consumers.”

Turner has served as Yum! Brands’ chief financial officer since 2019 and expanded his role to include chief franchise officer in 2024, with responsibilities for finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, franchise standards and support.

In recent years, he had been instrumental in driving actions that leveraged Yum!’s scale, such as accelerating the company’s digital and technology transformation through initiatives like the establishment of Byte by Yum!, an AI-driven restaurant technology platform; launching a centralized, global Supply Chain Center of Excellence; and the creation of Saucy by KFC, a new restaurant concept.

“During my time partnering with Chris, he’s demonstrated deep knowledge of our business, strong values and a clear commitment to our growth. I can’t think of a better person to guide Yum! into its next chapter, and I look forward to supporting a smooth and successful transition,” said the retiring Gibbs, who will work as an advisor through 2026.

A statement from the company said Turner will focus on executing Yum!’s mission of “growing the most loved, trusted and connected restaurant brands globally.”

Turner’s career has spanned leadership roles for major global brands like PepsiCo and its sub-brands. Prior to joining Yum! Brands, Turner led PepsiCo’s retail and e-commerce business with Walmart in the U.S. and more than 25 countries, and across PepsiCo’s brands in the beverage, snack and nutrition categories.

He also spent more than 13 years with McKinsey & Co., where he was a partner in the firm’s Dallas office and led the Service Operations practice in North America, the Restaurant Service Line, the Retail Operations team and recruiting for all southern U.S offices.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of nearly 61,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the company’s concepts: KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill.