• February 7, 2008

AFC Enterprises Inc., which operates Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits restaurants, on Wednesday named a new chief marketing officer and chief operations officer.

Richard Lynch, 53, has been interim chief marketing officer since Robert Calderin resigned from the role in October, and will assume the position permanently, effective March 1.

Before becoming interim CMO, he was a principal of GO LLC, a marketing consulting firm specializing in restaurant and food retail.

Ralph Bower, 45, replaces chief operations officer James W. Lyons, who left in December to pursue another business opportunity, effective immediately. He was previously KFC operations leader responsible for KFC franchised restaurants in the Western U.S.

AFC has faced turnover in its executive staff. It named a new chief executive in October and its chairman and founder resigned in December. In November, the company said third-quarter net income rose 10% while revenue rose 8%, to $38.9 million.

--Nina M. Lentini