Whataburger CEO To Retire, Debbie Stroud To Lead

Whataburger CEO Ed Nelson will retire at the end of the year, and Debbie Stroud, currently EVP and COO, will step into the president and CEO roles on January 1.

Nelson’s career at Whataburger spanned two decades. He joined the company in 2004 as controller. He was promoted to CFO in 2008, president in 2019 and CEO in 2020. Under his leadership over the past five years, Whataburger has expanded into 16 new states, opening more than 250 new stores.

Stroud joined Whataburger in early 2023 and has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the restaurant and retail industry. Previously, she served as SVP, U.S. Retail Operations at Starbucks Coffee Co., overseeing the regional vice president team with responsibility for more than 10,000 retail stores across the country. Prior to her five years with Starbucks, Stroud spent 27 years with McDonald’s, where she served in key financial and operational roles.

“Debbie has brought a wealth of knowledge and a strong vision for operational excellence and high-quality made-to-order food to Whataburger. We are excited for her to extend her energy and passion for building great teams and delivering extraordinary hospitality to customers across our expanding operations,” says Matthew Rose, chairman of Whataburger, in a statement.

Whataburger, based in San Antonio, has more than 1,000 restaurants. In 2023, it opened its first digital-only kitchen designed for guest on the go.