Chick-fil-A Names President, COO

Susannah Frost will become the sixth president of Chick-fil-A.

CEO Andrew T. Cathy says in the release that Frost, currently the QSR’s restaurant development and field operations leader, has a range of expertise that will help the brand grow with care and confidence.

Susannah Frost. Photo courtesy of Chick-fil-A.

“Having served as the CEO for three years, the timing is right to expand our leadership capabilities to include a president who will work closely with me and our executive committee to steward our domestic and global expansion,” Cathy says.

Chick-fil-A has more than 3,000 restaurants across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. In 2023, the brand shared plans to expand by 2030 into Europe and Asia. Adam Jarboe, who oversees equipment/smallwares sourcing, supply chain at Chick-fil-A, was on hand at FER’s Multiunit Foodservice Equipment Symposium this past January as a panelist during a session on how to efficiently grow unit count.

Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, Frost was a real estate attorney at Troutman Sanders, advancing to partner. Since joining the brand in 2007, she has assumed higher degrees of responsibility within the legal department, restaurant development and operations.

Additionally, Chick-fil-A announced that Cliff Robinson has stepped up to the role of COO. Robinson currently serves as chief people officer and his responsibilities will expand to include leading field operations and restaurant development. Robinson began working at Chick-fil-A at a young age as the son of a Chick-fil-A restaurant owner-operator. He joined the company corporate support center staff in 1990 and has held increasing roles of responsibility, including various roles leading field operations, restaurant development and most recently as chief people officer.

Frost and Robinson will assume their new roles October 1.

Chick-fil-A isn’t the only brand to gain new leadership this week. On Tuesday, Starbucks and Chipotle announced they were shuffling CEOs.