Fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill confirmed on Monday that industry veteran Scott Boatwright will serve as its new permanent CEO. Boatwright previously held the interim CEO role after Brian Niccol stepped down to take the top executive position with coffeehouse chain Starbucks.
Boatwright originally spent close to two decades with Arby’s Restaurant Group, including being the senior vice president of operations, before joining Chipotle in 2017. Serving as Chipotle’s chief operating officer, he is credited for upgrading the efficiency of service, improving customer satisfaction, minimizing staff turnover, and being the driving force behind the push for the integration of new technologies.
Scott Maw, Chipotle’s chairman of the board, said that Boatwright’s hiring is a result of a “thorough and rigorous external search process.”
“Today’s announcement is an affirmation of both Scott’s leadership capability and our internal succession planning process. The board overwhelmingly believes Scott will deliver on the key strategies in place and position the company for continued success,” Maw said in a statement.
Boatwright becoming the company’s new CEO is the latest change in Chipotle’s executive structure. The chain previously elevated Adam Rymer from vice president of finance to new chief financial officer (CFO) while his predecessor, Jack Hartung, transitioned to the role of chief strategy officer.
Chipotle’s stock saw little movement on Monday and closed at $59.27 per share. The stock is currently 32.00% up year-to-date.