LOUISVILLE, KY. — Kentucky Fried Chicken, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, recently announced that Thuthuka Nxumalo was appointed as its chief operations officer for KFC US, assuming the role on Feb. 5.

“Thuthuka is a seasoned operator with a proven track record of driving operational best practices,” said Tarun Lal, president of KFC US. “With his ability to identify opportunities for rapid improvements and rally teams to provide exceptional service, I am confident Thuthuka is the right leader to drive a winning guest experience for KFC US.”

Before taking this position, Nxumalo served as COO for three years at KFC Africa. Prior to joining KFC, he worked with Anheuser-Busch InBev for nearly four years as brewery operations director for South Africa. He also spent more than 15 years with SABMiller and South African Breweries in various roles.

KFC also announced that Christopher Poirier would join KFC US as chief new concept officer as part of the company’s efforts to continue modernizing the KFC concept in collaboration with current leadership.

Poirier has worked with Yum! Brands since 2005. He has spent the last eight years with Pizza Hut, where he recently worked as global chief brand officer.