Chamber Luncheon
Date and Time
Thursday Jan 24, 2019
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EST
Thursday January 24th
11:30am-1pm
Location
The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North
7 Concourse Pkwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
Fees/Admission
Members: $40
Non-Member: $45
Late Registration Fee: $60
*No refunds will be given for no-shows nor cancelations.
Contact Information
Lynette
Send Email
Description
Paul Brown
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Inspire Brands
Paul Brown serves as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 8,300 Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-
In, and Rusty Taco locations worldwide.
Prior to founding Inspire, Brown was Chief Executive Officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
Arby’s drastic turnaround “can be attributed to Brown’s vision and leadership,” according to Fortune. As CEO, he launched several transformative initiatives across the brand’s global system with a
focus on innovation, including: introducing a new brand purpose, Inspiring Smiles Through Delicious Experiences®; unveiling a visionary restaurant design that increases energy efficiency; launching a team member training program that is centered on goal setting; and fostering a unique approach to product development that reinforces the brand’s We Have The Meats® marketing.
Under Brown, Arby’s global system sales surged 20% to $3.7 billion, and Arby’s U.S. system restaurants achieved average annual sales that were 22% higher than before Brown arrived. For these efforts, Brown was recognized as the 2018 Norman Award recipient by Nation’s Restaurant News, a 2018 Silver Plate honoree by IFMA, the 2017 Restaurant Leader of the Year by Restaurant Business, a 2016 Golden Chain honoree by Nation’s Restaurant News, and a 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year in the Southeast by EY.
Prior to Arby’s, Brown served as President of Brands and Commercial Services of Hilton Worldwide. The global hospitality company is comprised of ten brands including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Embassy SuitesHotels. Brown was the company’s global leader for brand management, product standards, marketing, sales, pricing, e-Commerce, loyalty programs, franchise relations, and information technology.
Brown also previously served with Expedia, Inc., the world’s leading online travel company, as President of Expedia.com and Expedia’s Partner Services Group. Prior to Expedia, Brown was a partner at McKinsey & Company. Based in London, he was a leader of the firm’s global travel and hospitality practice and served clients across the travel, hospitality, and retail sectors. Brown has worked with InterContinental Hotels Group as Senior Vice President of Global Brand Services and was responsible for global sales, reservations, the Priority Club loyalty program, e-Commerce, and purchasing. He was also a Manager for The Boston Consulting Group in the firm’s Chicago and Atlanta offices.
Brown is a member of the board of directors of H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB), J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP), and FOCUS Brands, Inc. Brown is also active in the Atlanta community, serving on the boards of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Georgia Tech Foundation, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, The Woodruff Arts Center, the Buckhead Coalition, the Commerce Club, and the Atlanta Police Foundation.
Brown is an alumnus of Georgia Tech where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in management. He also received an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He also served as an executive-in-residence at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.