PLANO, Texas — KFC U.S. announces that Melissa Cash has been named chief marketing officer, effective as of Sept. 16. Cash will report to Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC U.S., who previously held the CMO position before her promotion in April 2025.
In her role as CMO of KFC U.S., Cash will be the driving force for the brand’s modern marketing strategy, leading brand strategy, calendar, food innovation, integrated marketing, media and communications, consumer insights and analytics and e-commerce marketing, the company said.
“Melissa’s reputation as an authentic storyteller, motivating changemaker, builder of high-performing teams and champion of creativity makes her the ideal person to lead our marketing function — a critical driving force behind our comeback plan to drive distinction and growth in a competitive market,” Tan-Gillespie said.
Recognized by Ad Age as one of the Top 50 Women in Advertising, Cash’s expertise spans strategic brand development, digital customer experience, product innovation and launch moments, partnerships and performance marketing. Cash joins KFC U.S. with more than 20 years of brand experience across QSR (Wingstop, Wendy’s), CPG and financial services. She most recently served as SVP and Chief Brand Officer at Wingstop, where she drove significant revenue growth and increased brand awareness.
“KFC is one of the world’s most iconic brands, and I’m energized by the opportunity to unlock its next chapter of relevance and growth in the U.S.,” Cash said. “Together with our talented teams and franchisees, we’ll build bold, distinctive marketing that captures cultural attention and reinforces KFC’s rightful place as America’s fried chicken brand of choice.”
As the brand accelerates its Kentucky Fried Comeback Plan to strengthen brand relevance and growth in today’s marketplace, it also announces additional key appointments that round out the brand’s Plano-based leadership team:
Francis (Rico) Arrastia has joined as chief digital and technology officer, effective as of Sept. 9, reporting to Judd Knight, KFC Global CDTO, with a dotted line to Tan-Gillespie. In his role, Arrastia will lead KFC U.S.’s digital and technology strategy — modernizing discovery, ordering and engagement, while advancing personalization and performance analytics.
“I’m honored to join KFC at such a pivotal moment,” Arrastia said. “I look forward to leading the digital and technology team to deliver seamless, personalized experiences that make it easier than ever for customers to discover, order and enjoy KFC, fueling both customer loyalty and growth in the U.S.”
Arrastia joins KFC U.S. with more than 27 years of experience leading product, engineering and operations across brands including Levi Strauss & Co. and Walmart Global eCommerce. At Levi’s, he scaled global product teams, expanded mobile platforms and drove measurable improvements in customer satisfaction. At Walmart, he launched personalization and logistics platforms that reshaped omnichannel retail.
Tiffany Furman joined the KFC U.S. team as chief growth officer in July 2025, a new leadership team role that unites finance and development under a shared growth agenda.
Furman has been with Yum! Brands for more than 17 years. Prior to joining KFC U.S., she served as chief financial officer at Habit Burger & Grill and held finance and development leadership roles at Taco Bell.
Sarah Crow joined the KFC U.S. team as chief legal officer in March 2025. Crow has been with Yum! Brands for six years, previously leading the Global Franchising Office and other franchising and development leadership roles at Pizza Hut U.S. and Taco Bell U.S. Prior to joining Yum!, Sarah spent nearly nine years as an attorney in private practice, where she advised clients on complex business transactions and financial restructuring.
In addition to Tan-Gillespie, Cash, Arrastia, Furman and Crow, other KFC U.S. leadership team members include Heather Becker (McCoy), chief people and culture officer; and Thuthuka Nxumalo, chief operations officer.
“We’ve assembled a powerhouse leadership team with the talent and firepower to usher KFC into its next chapter,” Tan-Gillespie said. “Together, we’re set to put KFC back in the cultural spotlight, sharpen our competitive edge and ignite a major U.S. comeback.”
