Wendy's Hires Former McDonald's Executive to Lead Brand Turnaround

The Wendy's Company appointed Tariq Hassan as its new Chief Marketing and Customer Growth Officer on August 24. Hassan, previously a Senior Vice President and U.S. Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald's, replaces Lindsay Radkoski. He reports to CEO Bob Wright and is tasked with reigniting the brand's connection with customers to return the company to profitable growth.

The leadership change follows a period of significant decline, including six consecutive quarters of falling same-store sales and a 7% drop in U.S. same-restaurant sales during the second quarter of 2026. The company also saw a net decline of 81 domestic locations in the first half of the year. Bob Wright admitted the chain compromised ingredient quality, customer value, and service to prioritize cost savings, noting that the company had become over-reliant on one-off promotions rather than a consistent brand narrative.

To address these failures, Wendy's is expanding a turnaround initiative called Project Fresh, which focuses on food quality, restaurant operations, store upgrades, and digital sales. As part of this effort, the company introduced permanent $4, $6, and $8 Biggie Deals to provide predictable value. Wendy's has withdrawn its full-year financial outlook while management develops the updated strategy to combat rising operating expenses and falling customer traffic.