CEC Entertainment Hires Ashley Zickefoose as New Chief Marketing and Concept Officer
Two Additional Executive Team Moves Made to Poise Brand for Growth
DALLAS – Feb. 27, 2018 – Chuck E. Cheese’s, the leader in family dining and entertainment, today announced that Ashley Zickefoose has joined the Company as Chief Marketing and Concept Officer. In her new role, effective Mar. 5, Zickefoose will have responsibility for brand strategy, advertising, digital, innovation and in-restaurant consumer experience.
“We’re thrilled to have Ashley on board as the newest member of our executive team,” said Tom Leverton, CEO of CEC Entertainment, Inc. “She has a proven track record building and leading successful teams, digital, and brands in the restaurant space. Additionally, as a mom herself, Ashley will be an invaluable asset as we seek to build deeper connections with families. With this in mind, we have created the Chief Concept Officer role to enhance our consumer experience, keep our brand relevant, and drive long term sustainable growth for the Chuck E. Cheese’s brand.”
Ashley joins CEC with extensive experience working in brand strategy and marketing across restaurant, CPG and retail industries with such blue chip brands as YUM! Brands/Pizza Hut and Kraft Foods. She was most recently Chief Marketing Officer at On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina where she was responsible for driving successful brand, innovation, and sales strategies both on and off premise for the world’s largest Mexican casual dining concept.
“I’m excited to be joining such an iconic brand which has been the mainstay of family fun and kids’ birthday parties for more than 40 years,” said Zickefoose. “I look forward to contributing innovative ideas and marketing strategies to take the company into the next 40 years,” Zickefoose added.
Additional organizational changes at Chuck E. Cheese’s include a promotion for Rudy Rodriguez, Jr. from Senior Vice President and General Counsel to Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer. In his legal role, Rudy provides strategic legal business advice to the Company’s Board of Directors, officers, and managers. In his newly expanded role as Chief Human Resources Officer, Rudy will oversee Total Rewards (Compensation, Benefits, HR Information Systems) and HR Compliance, as well as Corporate and Field Human Resources functions. He also manages the company’s Risk Management, Internal Audit, and Licensing groups. Rudy was recently recognized as one of “2017’s Top 10 Leaders” in the November/December issue of Hispanic Executive magazine.
Mahesh Sadarangani was also promoted from Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives to Chief Administrative Officer. Since joining CEC Entertainment nearly four years ago in the strategy role, Mahesh has taken over the reins of several departments, including Games, Supply Chain, Revenue Management, Consolidated Analytics, Call Center, Birthdays, and Warehouse functions, while retaining his core responsibility in Strategy.
About CEC Entertainment, Inc.
CEC Entertainment is the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment with both its Chuck E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Pizza restaurants. As the place where a million happy birthdays are celebrated every year, Chuck E. Cheese’s goal is to create positive, lifelong memories for families through fun, food, and play and is the place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid®. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese’s helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check®. As a strong advocate for its local communities, Chuck E. Cheese’s has donated more than $16 million to schools through its fundraising programs and supports its new national charity partner, Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The Company and its franchisees operate a system of 607 Chuck E. Cheese’s and 147 Peter Piper Pizza stores, with locations in 47 states and 13 foreign countries and territories. For more information, visit Chuck E. Cheese’s or connect with us on social media.
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