Chipotle Adds Former KFC CEO Sabir Sami to Board of Directors

Chipotle Mexican Grill said in a filing that it has appointed Sabir Sami to its board of directors, effective immediately.

Sami brings more than 30 years of global consumer and restaurant industry experience, including 16 years at Yum! Brands Inc., where he held senior leadership roles across KFC, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill. He most recently served as chief executive officer of KFC from January 2022 to February 2025, with global responsibility for the brand's strategy and performance.

Earlier in his career, Sami served as KFC's chief operating officer and managing director of KFC Asia, overseeing markets across Thailand, India, Central Asia and Greater Asia, and as managing director of KFC's Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey markets. He also held general manager roles at Yum! Canada and for KFC's Canada and Turkey businesses. Before joining Yum! Brands in 2009, he held leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Co. and Reckitt Benckiser.

Sami currently serves as a director of Sami Advisory, a business consulting firm he founded in August 2025, and sits on the Board of Directors of Save the Children Canada. He holds an MBA from the University of Karachi in Pakistan.

With the addition, Chipotle's Board of Directors will be composed of 11 directors, 10 of whom are independent. Chairman Scott Maw said Sami brings deep restaurant operating expertise and a proven track record leading brands across international markets. The company said the board remains committed to ongoing refreshment and will continue to evaluate qualified independent director candidates aligned with Chipotle's long-term strategy.

As of June 30, 2026, Chipotle operates over 4,200 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Middle East, and employs nearly 140,000 people.

Finazon · prior-day close · Sep 11, 2026