Name: Kevin Kalicak
New title: Chief financial officer and treasurer, Portillo’s
Previous title: Senior vice president, finance, Olive Garden
Portillo’s is hiring Kevin Kalicak as CFO effective Sept. 7, according to a Tuesday press release. Kalicak comes to the hot dog brand from Darden, where he spent nearly 30 years in a variety of finance posts, rising to Olive Garden’s senior vice president of finance, according to his LinkedIn profile.
At Portillo’s, Kalicak will direct financial planning and analysis, accounting, investor relations, internal audit, tax, supply chain and other corporate financial functions. Kalicak is replacing Michelle Hook, who left the chain in May after about five and a half years to become Shake Shack’s CFO.
Kalicak has significant financial leadership experience. While he was at Olive Garden, he was responsible for over 900 restaurants and $5 billion in annual sales. He also has held positions covering brand finance, business analytics, enterprise finance and investor relations at Darden.
This expertise will help Portillo’s grow its company-owned operations while scaling profitability. The chain has refined its development strategy in recent quarters, following disappointing results from Texas openings.
“As we refine and execute our strategy, [Kalicak’s] experience leading high-performing finance organizations to support operational excellence and ultimately drive shareholder value will be instrumental as we strengthen our business and position Portillo’s for long-term growth,” Brett Patterson, Portillo’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
