Taco Bell appoints Meghan Farren as North American President

NORTH AMERICA – Multinational fast food chain Taco Bell has announced the appointment of Meghan Farren as North America president, the former KFC UK and Ireland executive, succeeds Scott Mezvinsky, who was promoted to KFC US CEO.

Farren, who has spent over a decade in leadership roles at KFC’s U.K. and Ireland business, will transition to her new role as Taco Bell’s CEO on February 10.

During her tenure at KFC, she had a significant impact on the company’s performance.

Prior to this position, she served as chief customer officer at ASDA, a prominent U.K. supermarket chain, after nearly six years as chief marketing officer at KFC U.K. and Ireland.

In the latter role, Farren led a major turnaround, modernizing KFC and making it a more relevant and distinctive brand, while achieving growth in both same-store sales and profits.

Her earlier positions include marketing director and innovation director at KFC. Additionally, she has experience working at Gu Chocolate Puds, Marakon, and JPMorgan.

Farren will succeed Scott Mezvinsky, who was promoted to KFC U.S. CEO earlier this month, following Sabir Sami’s departure.

As Taco Bell’s new CEO, Farren will oversee a brand poised for continued growth and increased sales in the U.S., which remains one of parent company Yum’s biggest growth contributors.

Taco Bell recently reported a 4% increase in same-store sales in the U.S. for Q3, outpacing many of its competitors.

Taco Bell’s growth strategies involve expanding its Luxe Cravings Box with additional price points, experimenting with a beverage-driven concept, and introducing new menu items, such as the limited-time chicken nuggets offering.

Yum Brands CEO, David Gibbs, emphasized Taco Bell’s strengths in innovation, value leadership, and strong consumer connections as reasons for the brand’s consistent success.

Taco Bell has become Yum’s strongest U.S. performer, maintaining steady same-store sales growth despite broader industry challenges.

The brand now accounts for 75% of Yum’s U.S. profits and has gained market share for several quarters. Gibbs attributed Taco Bell’s success to a combination of value messaging, digital initiatives, and timely menu innovations, such as the Cheez-It promotion.

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