Chipotle Mexican Grill on Jan. 12 announced that President and Chief Brand Officer Chris Brandt has left his role, effective immediately. Brandt will remain with the company in an advisory role for a limited time to assist with the transition.
Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s vice president of brand marketing, will serve as interim chief marketing officer. The company has begun an internal and external search for a new CMO with the assistance of an executive search firm.
“Chipotle has a deep bench of marketing talent, and we are fortunate to have Stephanie take on the interim role overseeing our strategic marketing initiatives, customer engagement and incredible brand loyalty as we conduct a comprehensive search for our next CMO,” CEO Scott Boatwright said in a press release.
Brandt joined Chipotle as CMO in April 2018 before eventually being promoted to president and chief brand officer. A veteran of Bloomin' Brands, Taco Bell and Coca-Cola, Brandt is an award-winning thought leader in the marketing space, and helped Chipotle become a “purpose-driven lifestyle brand,” Boatwright said.
Perdue joined Chipotle in July 2018 after a stint as CMO at TGI Fridays. Previously, the executive held multiple marketing roles during more than 12 years at Taco Bell, per her LinkedIn page.
Chipotle has faced several quarters of flat or negative same-store sales growth due to economic headwinds that have caused its core customers to pull back on spending. The company will share its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2025 earnings on Feb. 3.
“As we move forward, our focus remains on the disciplined execution of our core strategies. We are reaffirming our full-year 2025 financial guidance that was issued in October and remain confident in our 2026 strategic plan,” Boatwright said in the press release.
