Baskin-Robbins Names Brand, Marketing Executives
Industry veterans Sue Thirlwall and Brad Wahl appointed to senior management team.
-- Chain Leader, 10/7/2009 8:25:00 AM
PRESS RELEASE: CANTON, Mass., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Baskin-Robbins, America's favorite neighborhood ice cream shop, today announced the two key additions to the company's senior management team. Sue Thirlwall joins the company in the newly created position of Brand Operating Officer and Brad Wahl joins the company in the newly created position of Vice President of Marketing USA. Each will report directly to Srinivas Kumar, Chief Brand Operating Officer for Baskin-Robbins Worldwide.
Ms. Thirlwall brings more than thirty years of operations and retail experience to her new role on the Baskin-Robbins senior management team where she will lead day-to-day operations and marketing initiatives. In her new position, she will lead the brand and the franchise operations group to further improve processes, systems and procedures with a focus on providing an outstanding customer experience. Mrs. Thirlwall has spent the majority of her career leading and advising franchisees in all areas of the foodservice business. She joins Baskin-Robbins from YUM! Brands where she served as the National Director, Franchise. She also held senior level positions to drive restaurant readiness and operations at Pizza Hut. Prior to YUM! Brands, Ms. Thirlwall worked at Deloitte and Touche as a Management Consultant and Manager. She received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in business administration from University of Southern California.
Mr. Wahl brings an extensive background in building brands and engaging customers for numerous multi-unit retail companies. Brad will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to strengthen the brand and further drive customer loyalty. Prior to Baskin-Robbins, Brad served as Vice President of Marketing for The Krystal Company and helped lead the transformation of the 75-year old burger chain into a contemporary brand with appeal for a new generation of customers. He also served as Retail Brand Marketing Director for CORT Furniture. Earlier in his career, Brad served in marketing and research roles for Rent-a-Center. He received a bachelor's degree in marketing from Wichita State University.
"Both Sue Thirlwall and Brad Wahl are exceptional leaders who bring to Baskin-Robbins invaluable experiences that will help intensify our focus on operational excellence and marketing," said Baskin-Robbins Srinivas Kumar, Chief Brand Operating Officer for Baskin-Robbins Worldwide. "We are excited to welcome both to Baskin-Robbins to further build brand excitement and engagement."
About Baskin-Robbins
Named the top ice cream and frozen dessert franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine's 29th annual Franchise 500(r) ranking, Baskin-Robbins is the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops. Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium ice cream, specialty frozen desserts and beverages, providing quality and value to consumers at more than 6,000 retail shops in 35 countries. Baskin-Robbins was founded by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. Headquartered in Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin' Brands, Inc. family of companies. For further information, visit www.baskinrobbins.com.
