Wendy’s has appointed Tariq Hassan to the newly created role of chief marketing and customer growth officer, effective immediately, according to a press release. The executive will report to President and CEO Bob Wright and succeeds Lindsay Radkoski, who has served as U.S. CMO for the chain since 2023 and will depart the organization after a transition period.
Hassan previously served as U.S. chief marketing and customer experience officer at McDonald’s, where he helped the fast-food giant beef up marketing, drive digital and loyalty engagement and launch culturally relevant campaigns. After starting his career on the agency side, Hassan also served in various marketing roles for companies including Petco and HP.
While at McDonald’s, Hassan was key to campaigns around adult Happy Meals and Grimace’s birthday that drove engagement and sales. He was described as a “powerful force” in putting the brand at the center of culture by McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger. Hassan resigned from his post at McDonald’s early last year.
“Tariq's appointment is another meaningful step in returning Wendy's to profitable growth,” Wright said in a statement. “He has demonstrated the impact that highly effective marketing, digital activation, menu innovation and culturally relevant brand engagement can have on restaurant performance and customer loyalty.”
Hassan’s appointment arrives as Wendy’s look to rebound from six straight quarters of same-store sales declines, including a 7% decline in Q2 2026. Wright joined the chain in May after serving as president and CEO at Potbelly for more than five years, during which he oversaw the brand’s turnaround. The executive previously named demand-driving marketing as one of the five areas where Wendy’s is taking action to help spur a turnaround.
Around the turn of the decade, Wendy’s made waves with its social media marketing and brash brand voice on platforms like the one formerly known as Twitter. However, it has not been able to consistently turn online buzz into real-world sales, despite collaborations like a 2025 effort around Netflix’s “Wednesday.”
“We need to sharpen marketing. We've been over reliant on a calendar of one-off promotions and collaborations rather than a consistent, relevant brand narrative grounded in our equity and what Wendy's stands for,” Wright said on a call with investors around the Q2 earnings.
