Name: Aaron White
New title: Executive vice president, chief operating officer and chief people officer, Brinker International
Previous title: Executive vice president, chief people officer, Brinker International
White has worked at Brinker International for 29 years, starting her career as a Chili’s server and bartender, according to a press release. Her latest promotion comes two-and-a-half years after she was promoted to chief people officer. Prior to that role, White served as Chili’s co-chief operating offer, supporting the chain’s Eastern U.S. restaurants. The bulk of her Brinker career has been spent at Chili’s in roles focused on PeopleWorks (HR) and operations, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“Aaron's teams have delivered huge results in the company's turnaround through simplification, redesigning work processes to be more efficient, and reawakening the ChiliHead culture that has been a key to Chili's success for the brand's 50 years,” the company said in the press release.
In her expanded role, White will oversee operations and PeopleWorks at the restaurant support center for Chili’s and Maggiano’s, the company said. Her leadership team will be focused on operational changes that improve team member and guest experiences. She will continue to report to CEO Kevin Hochman.
White’s promotion follows another quarter of significant growth at Chili’s, which boosted same-store sales by 31% and traffic by 21% during the fiscal third quarter. In addition to traffic-driving efforts with menu innovation and marketing, the chain has been working to improve operations. Chili’s deployed a new kitchen display system that provides easier recipe references to staff. The company also held listening tours with dishwashers — the position with the highest turnover — to find ways to make the job easier, and implemented unspecified changes at the position during the quarter, according to an earnings call.
