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MANAGEMENT TEAM

The senior management team is responsible for implementing strategy and overseeing the day to day operation of the company.

Arif Khan
Group Chief Executive Officer

As the Group Chief Executive Officer, Arif is responsible for the leadership, strategic direction, and management of Restaurant Brands’ operations across New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, and California. 

 

Arif Khan’s extensive career spans more than 25 years in the hospitality and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) sectors across both Franchisor and Master Franchisee networks.  His global experience covers New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Pakistan, Turkey, and North Africa. He has a proven track record leading growth and innovation in large businesses.

 

Having spent several years at RBD earlier in his career, Arif returned to the company in 2018 as CEO to lead the New Zealand operations. Under his leadership the New Zealand operations have continued to grow rapidly, including the launch of Taco Bell into New Zealand in 2019 and its subsequent growth to 14 locations across the country, and including the turnaround of Pizza Hut and Carl’s Jr. brands in New Zealand.

 

Arif is a strategic and commercially-focused people leader. He has a long history in both high level national and international managerial positions He has a strong business acumen and successfully steered the New Zealand business through the COVID 19 pandemic.

Julio Valdes
Group Chief Financial Officer

Julio Valdés, has more than 30 years’ experience in accounting, auditing, M&A, divestitures, and taxes. Julio has provided a diversity of services primarily to companies in the consumer products, power & utilities, and manufacturing sectors advising both Mexican and international companies and supporting their comprehensive development. He has also participated in projects for multinational public companies with reporting requirements under the Sarbanes Oxley Act and has broad experience in reports required under IFRS and USGAAP.

 

Prior to joining Restaurant Brands Julio served as CFO for Grupo Finaccess, a post to which he was appointed in September 2020. Previously, he served as Director of New Business Integration. Julio also participated in the process through which Grupo Finaccess acquired a majority stake in RBD. Prior to joining Grupo Finaccess, Julio worked for more than 29 years at PwC, where he held several positions including Market Team Leader for the largest audit team in Mexico, overseeing 18 Audit Partners and a staff of over 300 people. He also served as either Leading Partner or Manager advising several of the most relevant companies in Mexico and participated in PwC’s Global Leadership Programs.

 

Julio is responsible for the finance, treasury, and investor relations teams within Restaurant Brands.

CORPORATE

New Zealand Division

Rodrigo Testas
Chief Executive Officer - New Zealand

Rodrigo joined Restaurant Brands as Group Chief Integration Officer in 2021 and was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer - New Zealand in May 2023. Rodrigo has extensive international experience and a proven track record in Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Procurement and Operations in consumer-packaged goods and Commercial and Residential development industries in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

Rodrigo has a Business degree from Anahuac University in Mexico City and an MBA from the University of Texas (Austin).  

Jennifer Buddle
Group Chief People Officer

Herman Pretorius
General Manager Taco Bell Australasia 

Kenny Thein
Chief Information Officer

Andrew Buckthought
General Manager Development and Property

Leonie Reyneke
General Manager Supply and Quality

Clark Wilson

General Manager Marketing

Elyse Hooper

General Manager Finance

Julia Wiegandt-Goude

General Manager People & Capability

Marc Gilchrist

General Manager Operations Pizza Hut

Shaun Jordan

General Manager Operations Carl’s Jr.

David Browne
Chief Financial Officer

Rebecca McLellan
Chief Operations Officer

Emma Jones
General Manager People and Performance

Gino Gigliotti
General Manager Property and Development

Australian Division

Ashley Jones
Chief Executive Officer - Australia

Ashley joined what is now Restaurant Brand's Australian subsidiary, QSR Pty Ltd in 2007 as a Financial Controller after migrating from the UK with his family.  Ashley became the CFO of QSR in 2009 and was appointed as Chief Executive Offier - Australia in 2018.

 

Ashley has a wealth of financial and commercial experience working in the retail, manufacturing, IT and service industries and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Brent Matsumoto
Chief Financial Officer

Leah Allen
Director of Marketing

Carol Graff
Director of Human Resources

Yong Min Kim
Taco Bell Director of Operations

Lawton Nakata
Director of IT

Cynthia Julian
Pizza Hut Director of Operations

Hawaii Division

Kevin Kurihara
Chief Executive Officer - Hawaii

Kevin joined what is now Restaurant Brands' Hawaiian subsidiary, TD Food Group Inc. in 1996 as CFO and has served as the company's Chief Executive Officer since 2016.  Prior to joining the company, Kevin was a Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hawaii and California.

 

Kevin has a BBA in Marketing from the University of Hawaii, performed post-graduate studies in accounting and management at the University of Hawaii and participated in Jardine's Executive Development Program.  Kevin is active in a number of community organisations.
Kevin's Senior Leadership Team:

California Division

Raziel Valiente-Chung
Chief Executive Officer - California

Raziel joined the predecessor to RBD California Restaurants Limited  in 2011 as Financial Controller.  She became the CFO of the company in 2013 and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer – RBD California Restaurants Limited in 2020.
 
Raziel started her career as an auditor with Price Waterhouse in their Philippines offices. Prior to becoming involved with the KFC business, Raziel was the Director of Asset Management for Levy Affiliated and was the Finance Controller for Atmel Corporation Philippines, responsible for all aspects of finance, purchasing, project management and facility management.
 
She earned her B.S. in Accountancy from Xavier University and her MBA  from the Ateneo de Manila University. She is a Certified Public Accountant in California.

Allan Wong Kam
Chief Financial Officer/Executive Vice President Development

Nancy Franco
Director of Operations

Oscar Aviles
Director of Operations

Guillermo Gonzales
Director of Human Resources

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