Quick Service, Quick Wins: Interim Guidance for QSR Growth

by: Aiah Lacson

A global QSR brand needed an interim executive to guide a pivotal growth phase. We placed a former BCG leader who built a 100-day plan, aligned teams, and delivered board-ready strategy materials—driving sharper execution and positioning the brand for rapid expansion.

Client Overview
The Challenge/Mandate
Search Strategy
The Placement
The Outcome

Client Overview

Founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1952, our client is a globally recognized brand in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry and one of the largest quick service chicken concepts around the world. They serve up a rich tradition of bold Southern hospitality and freshly prepared, high quality, authentic home-style fare to help people provide affordable, complete meals for their families. Their menu includes their world-famous Original and Spicy chicken, Tender Strips, and chicken sandwiches with classic sides and hand-made from scratch honey-butter biscuits. Their system consists of more than 1,700 locations in 24 countries and system-wide sales of $1.2 billion.

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The Challenge/Mandate

Our client sought an Interim Executive to act as the CEO’s right-hand person, tasked with developing a board proposal, including a 100-day plan, and performing Chief of Staff-type work. This included collaborating cross-functionally across all departments, deep diving into business priorities, and structuring key initiatives. This engagement had the potential to convert into a full-time leadership role.

Search Strategy

The ideal candidate needed to be a former consultant from a top-tier management consulting firm, with exceptional PowerPoint and presentation skills to synthesize and communicate complex information effectively. Experience developing board materials, crafting strategic 100-day plans, and navigating board-level interactions was essential. Candidates with prior experience in the food/restaurant (QSR), retail, or franchising industries were highly preferred.

The Placement

We selected a highly qualified candidate from our VIP network, confident in her ability to deliver exceptional results. With extensive experience in strategy and operations, she had led enterprise-wide initiatives such as developing North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts’ first-ever capital strategy and optimizing CAPEX allocation. She previously served as Chief of Staff to the COO, bridging operations, finance, and development teams, and partnering closely with C-suite executives and board members.

Her strong PowerPoint, financial analysis, and storytelling skills were honed during her tenure at BCG, enabling her to deliver high-stakes board proposals and strategic plans. She also brought deep expertise in QSR, retail, and franchising, having spearheaded a $20M EBITDA improvement initiative in F&B operations and driving operational efficiencies in consumer-focused industries. At the time of placement, she was Acting VP of Strategy and Performance Improvement for a PE-owned REIT specializing in shopping centers.

The Outcome

The Interim Executive immediately established herself as a critical partner to the CEO and C-suite team, leading the development of a comprehensive 100-day strategic plan and crafting a board proposal that aligned key stakeholders around transformative priorities. She successfully implemented operational rhythms that improved cross-functional collaboration and decision-making processes across the organization. Her contributions resulted in streamlined communication between the executive team and the board, ensuring clarity and alignment on the company’s growth strategy. Her performance was so impactful that discussions began for her to transition into a permanent executive leadership role within the organization.