Int’l. Dairy Queen Serves News of New COO

A former Domino’s Pizza executive is ready for his next sweet spot.

Today, Art D’Elia was announced as the chief operating officer, U.S. and Canada, at Int’l. Dairy Queen. In the role, he will lead nearly 275 employees in operations, training and marketing, working to achieve IDQ’s financial objectives, grow franchisee sales and profits, and maintain and grow the brand’s strength and reputation. D’Elia will work from the IDQ world headquarters in Minneapolis, and report to Troy Bader, president and CEO.

D’Elia spent seven years at Domino’s Pizza, leading its international business and serving as its chief marketing officer. His resume also includes experience as the chief marketing officer at Danone Dairy UBN (U.K., Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and from several marketing, corporate strategy and development roles at PepsiCo.

D’Elia holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

“Art’s strategic vision for the DQ business and strong leadership in brand strategy, marketing, operations and system sales growth position him well to lead our business in the U.S. and Canada,” says Bader. “His proven record of success in the quick-service restaurant industry paired with compelling marketing leadership in consumer packaged goods will elevate our franchise business to the next level and deliver on our vision to become the world’s favorite quick-service restaurant.”

Dairy Queen’s business in the U.S. and Canada comprises approximately 3,700 franchise owners and roughly 5,000 restaurants.