Former McKinsey partner named CFO of Yum Brands

Fast-food company Yum Brands has named Chris Turner as its new chief financial officer. Turner was formerly a partner in the Dallas office of strategy firm McKinsey & Company.

Chris Turner’s appointment concludes a five-month search for a new CFO for the Louisville, Kentucky–based company, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. Yum Brands has over 48,000 restaurants in more than 145 countries and territories.

Turner replaces David Gibbs, who took on the roles of president and chief operating officer in January. As CFO, Turner will have global responsibility for the fast-food giant’s finance, corporate strategy, supply chain, and IT functions.

Turner was most recently senior vice president and general manager of PepsiCo’s global Walmart business. Before that, he was senior vice president of transformation, North America, at PepsiCo-owned Frito-Lay, leading the optimization of the snack brand’s direct-store delivery capability. He also previously served as senior vice president of strategy at Frito-Lay North America, leading strategic planning related to growth acceleration and M&A.

Turner joined PepsiCo from McKinsey, where he was a partner in Dallas office. During his 13 years at the premier consultancy, Turner led the service operations practice in North America, the restaurant service line, and the retail operations team.

“From his time at PepsiCo to his years at McKinsey & Company, Chris brings nearly 20 years of strategy, finance, M&A and operations leadership to Yum Brands,” said CEO George Creed. “We are confident that Chris’ commercial experience with iconic consumer-oriented companies, particularly across the quick-service restaurant and retail sectors, will prove instrumental as we drive global growth, leveraging our unprecedented scale and maximizing value for our customers, franchisees, employees, and shareholders.”

Earlier in his career, Turner was a consultant at management and technology consultancy Accenture. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas.

“Yum Brands’ laser-focused business strategy, financial discipline and emphasis on development, innovation and company culture are true differentiators, and I’m thrilled to be part of the company’s future success,” Turner said.