• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Chipotle has appointed Fernando Machado as chief brand officer, effective June 1.

“Machado’s appointment fills a chief brand officer role most recently held by Chris Brandt, the Chipotle executive who led the chain’s marketing for nearly eight years before stepping down in January,” according to Marketing Dive. “Since then, Stephanie Perdue, previously Chipotle’s vice president of brand marketing, has served as interim CMO. She has been promoted to senior vice president of brand marketing, according to a Chipotle spokesperson.”

As CMO, Machado will lead the fast casual company's global marketing strategy, brand positioning and customer engagement efforts as Chipotle continues to execute its Recipe for Growth strategy, aiming to drive innovation and expand its global footprint.

“His proven track record in building iconic brands, driving category-defining innovation, and leading customer-centric marketing strategies positions him to elevate our brand, deepen guest loyalty, highlight the value of our real food, and accelerate our long-term growth,” Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said of Machado in a release.

Machado currently serves as an operating partner at Garnett Station Partners, a private equity firm focused on franchise, multi-unit and services businesses.

“Chipotle also named Arlie Sisson as chief digital officer to accelerate its technology and innovation efforts,”  according to Nation’s Restaurant News. “Most recently, Sisson served as senior vice president, global head of digital, commercial services at Hyatt Hotels, where she led a global organization across product, design, engineering, loyalty, analytics, digital strategy and more.”

Machado spent over seven years as the CMO at Restaurant Brands International across brands like Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons. He also spent 18 years at Unilever in a series of executive leadership roles across its consumer brand portfolio. 

“Boatwright previously described the chain’s search for a ‘unicorn’ CMO that would need to support key messaging, menu innovation, digital commerce and transactions through loyalty and third-party aggregators,” according to Marketing Dive. 

The move signals a bigger investment in brand-building for Chipotle, as it looks to scale its “Recipe for Growth” strategy and expand its global footprint, the company stated.

The QSR recently relaunched its “Rewards on Repeat” loyalty program, according to Marketing Daily. 

“Chipotle embarked on its new growth strategy in January, after same-store sales declined by 1.7% in 2025 on a 2.9% decline in store traffic, partially offset by higher prices,” according to AdAge. “The plan focuses on evolving its brand and menu, investing in technology, global expansion and building talent. The chain has forecast flat comparable store sales for 2026.”