CKE Restaurants Overhauls Leadership to Drive Brand Growth

Alisa Gmelich, a veteran executive with stints at McDonald’s and Burger King, joins the firm as President of Hardee’s. Her mandate focuses on tightening franchisee alignment and modernizing the guest experience. She joins Iwona Alter, who has led the Carl's Jr. transformation since late 2025, overseeing the rollout of a cook-to-order platform designed to improve food quality and operational speed.

Behind these brand-specific leaders, Guith has assembled a new C-suite to handle the logistics of rapid expansion. Ben Halliwell moves into the Chief Commercial Officer role to unify digital strategy and analytics, while Danton Nolan takes over as CFO to shore up the company’s financial foundation. With over 600 restaurants currently in development worldwide under International President Ewan Davenport, the company is betting that this centralized expertise will bridge the gap between regional execution and global growth. Mauricio Sirgo, Nick Melka, and interim HR lead Cheryl Bowie round out the team, tasked with optimizing supply chains and long-term strategy.