Steve Cirulis to Succeed Ken Cook As Wendy's CFO and Chief Strategy Officer

The Wendy's Company has appointed Steve Cirulis as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, effective June 23, 2026. Cirulis will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright and join Wendy's Senior Leadership Team. He will succeed Ken Cook, who has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2024 and will remain in an advisory position through July to support the transition.

Cirulis most recently served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for Potbelly Sandwich Works, where he led financial, strategy, analytics, and risk management functions. During his tenure at Potbelly, he partnered with Bob Wright to lead a turnaround that resulted in a more than 500% increase in share price, double-digit growth in average unit volumes, substantial restaurant margin expansion, and improved return on invested capital. Cirulis has also held senior strategy and finance roles at Panera Bread, McDonald's, and Gap, Inc., and has nearly 30 years of experience with brands and consultancies in the food, beverage, retail, and restaurant sectors.

Ken Cook's contributions include serving as both Chief Financial Officer and Interim CEO. Under his leadership, Wendy's established the Project Fresh strategy.