Sweetgreen Creates, Fills New Position

Cindy Olsen has been named SVP, chief strategy officer at the 285-unit chain Sweetgreen.

In this role, she will oversee corporate strategy and strategic communications. The role bridges strategy, finance and operations, says the release, and Olsen also will play a critical role in accelerating the Sweet Growth Transformation Plan by translating Sweetgreen’s strategic priorities into long-term value creation. She will report to Sweetgreen Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Neman.

Olsen, who most recently worked as head of investor relations and strategy at Chipotle Mexican Grill, brings expertise in strategy and profitable growth. At Chipotle, she worked closely with the executive team to evolve its long-term strategy and connect it to value creation. Before that, she was managing director and equity research analyst at Nuveen and at Franklin Templeton, where she spent 17 years covering public and private companies across the consumer sector.

“Cindy is known for her ability to drive profitable growth through a disciplined approach to strategic decision-making,” Neman says. “She is the perfect addition to the executive team at this juncture in our transformation, with deep consumer and restaurant industry experience and a track record of bringing rigor to investment decisions.”