• March 17, 2008

Sam Su joins the board of directors as vice chairman.

The China division operates across 450 cities in Mainland China, with 2,140 KFC quick-service restaurants, 351 Pizza Hut casual dining restaurants, and 53 Pizza Hut Home Service units.

The Louisville, Ky.-based company also is testing East Dawning, a quick-service restaurant concept serving Chinese food.

The company outpaces its nearest competitor, McDonald's, by more than 1,000 restaurants in China, says Yum Brands, and is outpacing McDonald's development by a roughly 3:1 pace.

In 2007, the China division added a record 471 new-restaurant openings and delivered 30% operating profit growth. Recent Chinese government studies indicate the middle class in Mainland China is over 250 million people, with an economy growing in the low double-digits. The division also includes KFC in Taiwan and KFC and Pizza Hut in Thailand.

--Nina M. Lentini