Name: Damien Harmon
New title: President of North America, Subway
Previous title: Senior executive vice president of customer, channel experiences and enterprise services, Best Buy
Harmon has over 20 years of experience in operations, retail and customer experience, Subway said in a press release. In his new role, he will help accelerate sustainable growth, drive franchisee profitability and improve the guest experience across North America. His appointment was part of a move to bring in new leadership across various regions.
Those appointments included Tracy Gehlan as president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Artemio Garza as president of Latin America and Caribbean. The hirings also come roughly a month after the chain brought on Jonathan Fitzpatrick as its newest CEO.
“We’ve brought together a group of strong, experienced leaders who believe in Subway’s vision and are committed to partnering with our franchisees and employees to take this brand to the next level,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
In his most recent role at Best Buy, Harmon oversaw store and services teams and “championed initiatives that drove employee engagement, increased and strengthened long-term customer relationships, and delivered consistent, industry-leading results for the company,” the press release said. Harmon has also served in various positions at Bridgestone Americas.
Harmon will likely oversee ongoing remodels across the U.S. system. Subway is providing rebates to franchisees as a way to reinvest in the operators’ business, according to Restaurant Business. These rebates are about 10% of a franchisees’ average weekly sales for the first half of this year.
“We have rolled out a special reinvestment program for U.S. franchisees,” a Subway spokesperson said in an email about the reinvestment program. “Franchisee profitability is a top priority. With a new leadership team in place, we are exploring several initiatives focused on supporting our franchises, creating long-term sustainable growth, and helping to increase profitability.”
A focus on franchisee profitability could help slow down ongoing closures across the U.S. system. The company closed 631 units last year, according to its franchise disclosure document. That follows 443 closures in 2023 and 571 in 2022. Average unit volumes are among the lowest in the industry at roughly $490,000, according to Restaurant Business.
