Wendy’s will revive its chief operations officer role upon the Aug. 31 departure of Pete Suerken, currently its U.S. president, per a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Suerken will return to his post as president and CEO of Quality Supply Chain Co-op, an independent purchasing cooperative in the Wendy’s system, which he led from 2021 to 2025, per the filing.
The resurrection of the COO role comes more than six years after the chain eliminated the post, which was last held by current CEO Robert Wright, who departed the chain in 2019 when it shifted toward a U.S. president leadership structure. Wright then took a post as CEO of Potbelly and led that brand through a significant turnaround, culminating in its acquisition by RaceTrac in 2025.
Wendy’s run of management instability has extended beyond the CEO post. Since 2019, the U.S. president post has seen major changes and several officeholders. Kurt Kane had the role until January 2023, when it was eliminated. Abigail Pringle, a longtime Wendy’s exec, stepped into the position when it was revived in 2024, but left about 15 months later and was succeeded by Suerken. .
Suerken’s departure comes as Wendy’s “is evaluating restructuring and reorganization efforts,” per the filing, suggesting further shakeups may be coming.
Wendy’s faces a difficult moment, following the closure of a significant chunk of its U.S. store base, six-straight quarters of declining same-store sales and an activist investor campaign led by its former board chair. Wright has said the chain is working urgently to improve its menu, strengthen its value proposition for consumers and rebuild its brand identity through distinctive marketing.
Whoever steps into the new COO role will have a daunting task. Wendy’s two major competitors, McDonald’s and especially Burger King, are seeing stronger sales and more resilient traffic than Wendy’s.
