Paul Brown serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG). ARG is the operator and franchisor of more than 3,300 Arby’s restaurants worldwide.
Arby's drastic turnaround "can be attributed to Brown's vision and leadership,” according to Fortune. Since joining the company in May 2013, he has 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 have surged 20% to $3.7 billion, and Arby’s U.S. system restaurants now have average annual sales that are 25% higher than before Brown arrived. For these efforts, Brown was recognized as 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 joining 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 Suites Hotels. 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 the Georgia Tech Foundation, The Woodruff Arts Center, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Buckhead Coalition, the Commerce Club, and Zoo Atlanta.
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.
