Dive Brief:

• Detroit-based Little Caesars has tapped the former U.S. CFO of The Wendy's Company hamburger chain to serve as the pizza chain’s finance chief.
• Leigh Burnside will oversee the expansion of Little Caesars’ accounting team as it seeks to support recent growth, the company said in a statement on Monday. The appointment is effective immediately, Little Caesars spokesperson Annie McGraw told CFO Dive. 
• The company’s new finance chief replaces Darrell Snygg, who retired last month after 34 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Dive Insight:

Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s announced last month that Burnside, its chief accounting officer and U.S. CFO, told the company that she was leaving her post to become CFO of a different restaurant company that it did not identify. Burnside’s departure came amid a larger executive shakeup at the company, CFO Dive previously reported. 

Susan Thurek, previously senior vice president of accounting, was named Wendy’s chief accounting officer effective Jan. 20, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. 

Little Caesars has been growing through franchising, leveraging a diverse asset mix and wide array of channels to establish the brand in new markets, according to Industry Dive’s sister publication Restaurant Dive. The company has also been leaning on digital marketing to drive customer engagement, and it became the NFL’s official pizza sponsor in June 2022.

“The brand is experiencing tremendous growth and I'm looking forward to playing a key role in continuing to solidify the company's leadership in value, quality, and convenience,” Burnside said in the company’s statement.

Burnside is an excellent fit for the role due to her extensive experience in fast food, coupled with her expertise in finance and accounting, Little Caesars CEO David Scrivano said in the statement.

Burnside comes to Little Caesars with 30 years of experience in the accounting and finance industry, according to the statement. Her prior roles include manager of financial reporting at L Brands, now Bath & Body Works Inc. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a bachelor's degree in accounting.

She will be based at the Little Caesars global headquarters in Detroit.