Yum! Brands names Chris Turner as new CEO effective October 1

LOUISVILLE - Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), the $39.45 billion restaurant giant currently trading near its InvestingPro Fair Value, announced Tuesday that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Chris Turner, 50, as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2025.

Turner, currently serving as Chief Financial & Franchise Officer, will succeed David Gibbs, who informed the board in March of his intention to retire after 37 years with the company. Gibbs will remain CEO until September 30, 2025, and will serve as an adviser to the company until the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.

Turner has been with Yum! Brands since 2019, initially as Chief Financial Officer before expanding his role to include Chief Franchise Officer in 2024. Under his financial leadership, the company has maintained strong performance metrics, with InvestingPro data showing a healthy 10.09% revenue growth and a "GOOD" overall financial health score. His responsibilities have encompassed finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, and franchise support.

During his tenure, Turner has played a key role in the company’s digital transformation initiatives, including the establishment of Byte by Yum!, an AI-driven restaurant technology platform, and the creation of Saucy by KFC, a new restaurant concept.

Prior to joining Yum! Brands, Turner led PepsiCo’s retail and e-commerce business with Walmart in the U.S. and over 25 countries. He also spent more than 13 years with McKinsey & Co. as a Partner.

Gibbs, who became CEO in January 2020, led the company through the COVID-19 pandemic while expanding Yum! Brands’ global footprint to nearly 61,000 restaurant units. Under his leadership, digital sales exceeded $30 billion in 2024, representing over 50% of the company’s total sales. The company has maintained dividend payments for 22 consecutive years, with a current dividend yield of 2%, according to InvestingPro data, which offers comprehensive analysis through its Pro Research Report covering 1,400+ US stocks.

Brian Cornell, Non-Executive Chairman of the Yum! Brands Board of Directors, expressed confidence in Turner’s appointment in the company’s press release statement.

Yum! Brands operates KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill restaurants across more than 155 countries and territories.

In other recent news, Yum! Brands reported its first-quarter 2025 earnings, revealing an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.30, which slightly exceeded the forecast of $1.28. However, the company’s revenue fell short of expectations, reaching $1.79 billion compared to the anticipated $1.85 billion. The performance was bolstered by Taco Bell and KFC, which showed strong operating profit growth, with Taco Bell achieving a 16% increase and KFC seeing a 9% rise. In terms of analyst activity, Redburn-Atlantic upgraded Yum! Brands from Neutral to Buy and raised the price target from $145 to $177, citing the company’s growth potential and strong financial position. Meanwhile, JPMorgan increased its price target for Yum! Brands from $160 to $170, maintaining a Neutral rating. Additionally, Yum! Brands declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.71 per share, set to be paid on June 6, 2025. These recent developments highlight the company’s ongoing efforts to expand and innovate, particularly through its digital acceleration program and strategic initiatives.

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