KFC appoints Amy Ellis Durini as Global Chief Brand Officer

KFC has appointed Amy Ellis Durini as its new Global Chief Brand Officer, with the newly created role set to bring together leadership across brand, loyalty and retail strategy.

Amy will begin the role on November 1, returning to KFC after her latest chapter with Taco Bell, where she held marketing leadership responsibilities across the international business.

The move marks a return to a brand where Amy has previously spent eight years across KFC Latin America and KFC Global teams.

A new global brand leadership role

As Global Chief Brand Officer, Amy will lead KFC’s global strategy across brand, loyalty and retail, while working with marketing leaders across markets to shape the brand’s expression and customer experience.

The role comes as global restaurant brands continue to balance consistency across markets with locally relevant customer experiences. For KFC, Amy’s remit places brand development alongside loyalty and retail as interconnected parts of its global marketing strategy.

KFC said Amy will work closely with marketing leaders around the world to continue modernizing the brand’s expression and experience.

From Taco Bell back to KFC

Before returning to KFC, Amy spent time with Taco Bell, where she helped take elements of the brand’s marketing and customer experience into international markets.

Reflecting on her time with Taco Bell, Amy highlighted initiatives including the global rollout of Encore Hours and bringing Baja Blast to the UK, describing the period as an opportunity to take Taco Bell’s brand experience into new markets.

Her return to KFC therefore brings together experience from two of Yum! Brands’ major global restaurant brands.

Eight years across KFC’s global organization

Amy’s earlier career at KFC included eight years working across the company’s Latin America and Global teams.

That experience gives her familiarity with KFC’s international operating environment and the challenge of translating a globally recognized brand across different markets.

Her expanded remit will now place that experience against a broader mandate spanning brand strategy, loyalty and retail, with a focus on how KFC presents and delivers its brand globally.

Shaping KFC’s next chapter

Amy described the move as a return to a brand that has played an important role in her career, while KFC positioned the appointment as part of its continued effort to modernize its global brand expression and customer experience.

Working alongside marketing leaders across KFC’s markets, Amy will be responsible for helping define what the brand looks like, how it engages customers and how those experiences connect across physical and digital retail environments.

The newly created position also gives KFC a dedicated global leadership role connecting these areas as the brand develops its next phase of international growth.

About KFC

KFC is a global quick-service restaurant brand and part of Yum! Brands. Founded in 1952, the company operates a large international restaurant network and is known for its fried chicken-focused menu and distinctive brand identity. KFC operates across numerous markets through a combination of company-operated and franchise restaurants.