Yum! Brands, Inc., parent company of Pizza Hut, today announced that Chris Turner will succeed David Gibbs in the role of CEO after being unanimously elected by the company’s board of directors.
Turner currently serves as Yum! Brands’ chief financial and franchise officer for Yum! Brands. In March 2025 Gibbs announced that he would retire in the next year after 37 years with the company.
Turner will take over as Pizza Hut continues to struggle in what Gibbs termed a “tough category” earlier this year. For the first quarter of 2025, the No. 2 pizza brand saw same-store U.S. sales decline by 5% compared to the previous year while worldwide same-store sales dropped 2%.
As QSR has reported, Turner will earn a base salary of $1.1 million per year. He’s also eligible for a yearly cash bonus worth 200% of his salary, with the potential to go as high as 300%.
Yum! Brands also owns Taco Bell and KFC, among other chains.
Turner has served as Yum! Brands’ CFO since 2019 and was named chief franchise officer in 2024, with responsibilities for finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, franchise standards and support. In recent years, he launched initiatives like the establishment of Byte by Yum!, an AI-driven restaurant technology platform; a centralized, global supply chain Center of Excellence; and Saucy by KFC, a new restaurant concept.
“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,” Turner said in a statement. “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.”
Gibbs said, “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead Yum! Brands and work with such passionate, talented people across our global system throughout my almost 37 years with the company. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together and am confident that the best is yet to come. 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.”
Gibbs has served as Yum! Brands’ CEO since January 2020. According to a press release, he was instrumental in architecting and leading the company’s digital transformation and tripled the pace of Yum! Brands’ annual net new unit development, leading to nearly 61,000 restaurant units worldwide. Gibbs also navigated the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasingly complex operating environment. During his tenure, digital sales surpassed $30 billion in 2024, with more than 50% of sales through digital channels.
Gibbs will remain CEO until September 30 and will serve as an adviser to YUM! Brands until the end of 2026 to ensure a seamless transition.
As Yum! Brands CEO, Turner will focus on executing its mission of growing the restaurant brands globally. He will be responsible for driving the company’s Good Growth strategy, which includes ongoing digital initiatives, scaling innovation to power the company’s iconic brands and delivering long-term results.
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 served as 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.
