Wendy’s names Tariq Hassan chief marketing and customer growth officer

Wendy’s names Tariq Hassan chief marketing and customer growth officer

Mon, August 24, 2026 at 5:47 PM GMT+3 2 min read

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Wendy's is turning to a former McDonald's executive to help with its marketing.

The fast-food chain on Monday named Tariq Hassan its new chief marketing and customer growth officer. He will take over for Lindsay Radkoski, who has overseen marketing in the U.S. since 2024.

Hassan comes to the Dublin, Ohio-based chain from McDonald's, where he was most recently U.S. chief marketing and customer experience officer. Wendy's credited Hassan for helping to modernize marketing, digital, and loyalty.

It is the second major leadership team announcement in a week for Wendy's, which last week said that its U.S. market president, Pete Suerken, was returning to his old job as CEO of the company's supply chain co-op. Wendy's is replacing that position with a to-be-hired chief operating officer.

Bob Wright, Wendy's CEO, called the hiring of Hassan "another meaningful step in returning Wendy's to profitable growth." Wright called Hassan "a proven brand and team builder" who has "demonstrated the impact that highly effective marketing … can have on restaurant performance and customer loyalty."

Hassan will have some work to do at Wendy's. The chain's same-store sales have fallen for six straight quarters. Its same-store sales have been higher than 3% just once in four years. Last quarter, the chain underperformed longtime rival Burger King by 1,550 basis points.

Wendy's executives have blamed marketing for some of the chain's sales challenges of late. "We need to sharpen marketing," Wright told analysts earlier this month.

"We've been over-reliant on a calendar of one-off promotions and collaborations rather than a consistent, relevant brand narrative grounded in our equity and what Wendy's stands for," Wright said.

Hassan in a statement called Wendy's "an iconic American brand" that has "a real point-of-view our customers genuinely feel."

"My focus will be on reigniting that passionate connection with our brand to show up more powerfully in every experience, everywhere our fans meet us," Hassan said.

Wendy's stock was down more than 1% on Monday. Its shares are up nearly 7% amid reports that the company's largest shareholder is preparing to take the brand private.