KFC has appointed Rob Swain as the new general manager of its UK & Ireland division.
He will take the post on 1 March, replacing former GM Meghan Farren, who has been promoted to president of Yum Brands’ sister company Taco Bell North America.
Swain’s 15-plus years with the business earned him the title of “KFC veteran”, according to KFC Global CEO Scott Mezvinsky.
He has served as chief operations officer of KFC global since 2022. In his role, he has “transformed the brand’s approach to managing the customer and employee experience” and “step-changed the brand’s operating capability” across 30,000-plus restaurants, Mezvinsky added.
Prior to that, Swain was chief operating officer for eight years for both KFC Global and its UK&I division. He also spent three years as operations director of the Central & Eastern Europe teams.
He started at KFC as area coach in 2009, progressing to region coach of Scotland and the north east in 2011.
“Rob is an exceptional business leader. His impact on the business globally has been transformative and he has a remarkable ability to inspire and galvanise people, teams and markets across the globe”, said Mezvinsky.
“As KFC in the UK&I continues to thrive as the nation’s favourite fried chicken restaurant, I am confident that Rob will propel the business to new heights – championing and developing our people and delivering growth for KFC and all our stakeholders.”
Swain added: “I am immensely proud to be taking on the role of general manager for the UK & Ireland business, returning to where I started my KFC journey over 15 years ago.
“It is such an exciting time to be coming back to lead one of KFC’s boldest and most innovative markets as the brand continues to cement its leadership position and grow share in an increasingly dynamic market. Restaurant teams are the heart of this growth, and I am looking forward to continuing to develop this iconic brand across the UK and Ireland in this next chapter of our business.”
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