The parent company of several beloved franchise brands has brought an industry veteran onboard to ensure continued growth.
FOCUS Brands, the parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Schlotzsky, and Seattle’s Best Coffee (in certain military bases and in certain international markets), announced the appointment of Jim Holthouser as the company’s CEO, effective immediately. Jim succeeds Steve DeSutter, who filled the role for nearly six years.
“FOCUS Brands is an outstanding company, recognized globally for its iconic brands, and I am pleased to take on this role at such an exciting time in the company’s history,” said Holthouser. “I look forward to working with the FOCUS Brands team, franchisees, and suppliers to continue growing our leading foodservice concepts, enhancing our customers’ experience, and delivering value to all of our partners.”
Holthouser joins FOCUS Brands off the back of more than 30 years’ experience in worldwide brand development, concept innovation, franchise management, and digital marketing. Most recently, he served as the executive vice president, global brands, marketing and loyalty at Hilton Worldwide, where he was responsible for Hilton’s vast portfolio of 13 brands with over 5,000 hotels across 105 countries, generating an annual revenue of $36bn.
“Jim [Holthouser] is a results-oriented leader with a demonstrated history of partnering with team members and franchisees to drive results,” said Steve Romaniello, FOCUS Brands board chairman. “His track record of managing multi-branded portfolios and growing brands is impressive and gives us great confidence that he is ideally suited to lead FOCUS Brands in its next phase of growth. We thank Steve [DeSutter] for his leadership and service over the past six years and look forward to welcoming Jim to the FOCUS Brands family.”
Through its wide food and beverage portfolio, FOCUS Brands acts as a franchisor operating more than 6,000 locations in the U.S., District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and over 50 foreign countries.
