Sean Tresvant, who joined Taco Bell as Global Chief Brand Officer a year and a half ago, has been promoted to CEO, making him the company’s first Black CEO, according to Blackbusiness.com. The 43-year-old will take over the Mexican fast-food chain’s roughly 7,000 outlets, succeeding Mark King, who wants to retire at the end of the year.
Tresvant will begin his new post on January 1, 2024, and will report to Yum! Brands, Inc. (Taco Bell’s parent company) Chief Executive Officer David Gibbs. Tresvant, according to Gibbs, is “a visionary business leader and best-in-class brand builder.”
“Sean is laser-focused on keeping our powerhouse Taco Bell brand at the leading edge of culture and redefining innovation in the industry,” Gibbs said in a statement, adding that Tresvant is “the ideal executive to continue successfully executing Taco Bell’s long-term global growth strategies and take them to the next level.”
Tresvant was with Nike for more than 15 years, notably as Chief Marketing Officer of the Jordan Brand, before joining Taco Bell in January 2022 as Global Chief Brand Officer.
His role as Global Chief Brand Officer at Taco Bell was expanded to encompass strategy earlier this year after he joined the company. According to the brand, he currently supervises the brand’s strategy, food innovation, architecture and design, worldwide communications, and international business. Tresvant has so far helped build “massive awareness and buzz” for the brand through celebrity relationships and the reintroduction of the beloved Mexican Pizza, according to the statement.
When he becomes CEO, he will oversee the fast-food chain’s growth strategies, franchise operations and overall performance. “The love our fans and team members have for Taco Bell is extraordinary and means we’re in a unique position to push the limits on culture and become a brand that inspires and enables the world to Live Más,” said Tresvant, referring to Taco Bell’s motto.