Chief Executive Officer and President, Brinker International, Inc., and President of Chili’s® Grill & Bar

Kevin Hochman

Kevin Hochman serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®. He is also President of Chili’s and a member of Brinker’s Board of Directors.

As CEO, he leads more than 60,000 Team Members who own making millions of Guests feel special every week. Kevin is responsible for driving Brinker’s growth strategy, ensuring the company’s core values and culture are embedded in every restaurant and the Restaurant Support Center and overseeing restaurant operations worldwide.

Kevin has more than 25 years of experience working in leading global companies. Prior to joining Brinker in 2022, he held multiple leadership positions at Yum! Brands from 2014 to 2022 most recently serving as U.S. KFC President for more than five years while concurrently leading the Pizza Hut Brand as President from 2020 to 2022. In his KFC role, Kevin and his team led the KFC brand turnaround, which included new advertising, re-training restaurant teams, remodeling restaurants and making back-of-house improvements that delivered eight consecutive years of same-store sales growth for the now $5 billion U.S. brand. Kevin also led similar comp store growth success at Pizza Hut during his more than two years of tenure with that brand.

Kevin has received several awards in recognition of his brand-building leadership and innovative thinking, including being named to Nation’s Restaurant News Power List and PR Week’s Power List for several years. He was also named the Forbes No. 2 most influential CMO in the world when he was the KFC Chief Marketing Officer for his leadership in resurrecting the brand in the U.S. with the now-iconic rotating Colonels Campaign.

Before his start in the restaurant industry, he held various finance, brand management and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, including North America Cosmetics Business Leader. His 18-year tenure at P&G covered many leading top consumer brands in multiple categories including the now famous Old Spice turnaround brand campaign.

Kevin is a proud alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from The Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Annenberg School for Communication.

Outside of the office, Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife, Ann, and two teenage children. He likes running, golf, tennis and cooking. He also takes time to give back to the communities and organizations where he lives and works.

His favorites at Chili’s? Chips and Salsa with a side of Skillet Queso, Blackberry Margarita, Fajitas, Old Timer with Cheese and Southwest Eggrolls

His favorites at Maggiano’s? Italian Chopped Salad, Famous Rigatoni D, Shrimp Fra Diavolo and Chicken Parmesan.

Ms. Ware is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, having been appointed to this position in June 2024, after having served as Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations from October 2017 to June 2024.  Ms. Ware also served as Vice President of Chili’s Grill & Bar Finance from October 2000 to October 2017, and served in various restaurant operations, accounting, treasury, and finance roles from June 1988 to October 2000.  Ms. Ware is a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum and a leader within Brinker’s internal female development program, Women Taking the Lead.

Mika enjoys spending time with her husband, Joe, and adult children, Kaela and Lawson, boating at the lake with their rescue dog, Sadie and Coco, and cheering on her favorite Dallas sports teams: the Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Rangers.

Mika is a longtime supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and North Texas Food Bank. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Southern Methodist University.

Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Brinker International, Inc

Aaron White

Aaron White is executive vice president and chief people officer at Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®.

Aaron oversees all aspects of the Team Member experience for Brinker and Chili’s® Grill & Bar, including recruitment and retention, talent selection, learning and development, and diversity, equity and inclusion. At an enterprise level, she will also lead key business priorities such as culinary operations, restaurant services, Guest engagement and Team Member relations.

Aaron started as a ChiliHead in 2001 as a restaurant manager and was later promoted to general manager, where she was recognized as Brinker’s first female general manager of the year in 2008, the company’s highest honor that awards restaurant leaders who exceed expectations on sales, profits, Team Member and Guest metrics. She worked her way up the ranks leading multiple restaurants as an area director and then held several leadership roles in PeopleWorks (human resources) for both the company-owned and franchise components of the business. In 2018, she was promoted to vice president of operations services, where she led culinary operations, Guest engagement, operations project management and restaurant facilities for Chili’s. In 2019, she took on the challenge of integrating 116 Midwest franchise restaurants to the Chili’s company-owned system and leading a team of operators and newly welcomed BrinkerHeads into the effective team they are today. As a result of her leadership and the continued success of the region, Aaron was promoted to co-chief operating officer of Chili's in 2020. In 2022, she was promoted to her current role on Brinker's executive leadership team.

Aaron has worked in restaurants since high school and quickly knew the industry would be her forever home. She’s driven by the fact that great hospitality can turn around someone’s day, as well as watching the growth and development of Team Members throughout their careers.

An advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, Aaron also believes in representation in leadership and is an active member of Women’s Foodservice and Brinker’s Women Take the Lead program.

Aaron enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her husband, Olen, whom she met at Chili’s, and her rescue hound dog, Dega. They love scuba diving, hiking and camping. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and business from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and is MBTI- and SHRM-certified.

Her favorite Chili’s dish? Ancho Chile Salmon

Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Chili’s® Grill & Bar

George Felix

George Felix serves as senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®.

George is responsible for all U.S. Chili's brand marketing efforts, as well as the marketing strategy and initiatives to grow Brinker’s emerging virtual brand business. This includes enhancing the digital Guest experience, menu innovation and bringing the Chili’s brand to life across all marketing channels including advertising and social media. He also oversees advanced analytics, which provides value across the organization by leveraging the power of Guest, Team Member and business data and insights.

Before joining Brinker in July 2022, George was chief marketing officer of Tinder, where he led the global brand vision, strategy, and marketing operations. He has also served as chief marketing officer of Pizza Hut U.S., where he oversaw marketing, media and public relations for the brand. During his time at Pizza Hut, he led the development of a new brand positioning and advertising campaign that helped deliver three consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth including Pizza Hut’s best quarter in over a decade. Prior, George was director of marketing for KFC Global, where he was responsible for the brand communications strategy and positioning across 140 countries. He also served as director of brand communications for KFC U.S., leading national advertising, product packaging and restaurant merchandising. During his time in the role, the brand grew sales for three consecutive years behind the award-winning ‘Return of Colonel Sanders’ advertising campaign.

Prior to joining KFC, George worked in brand management at Procter & Gamble for six years. During that time, he worked on the Old Spice brand where he led award-winning advertising campaigns.

In 2018, Ad Age named Felix its "Brand Marketer of the Year" and in 2016 he made the outlet's 40 Under 40 list. During his career, he has been at the helm of several award-winning campaigns including 14 Cannes Lions, four Effies and an Emmy for Best Commercial. During Felix's tenure with KFC, the brand was named to Ad Age's 2016 Marketer A-List as one of the top 10 brands of the year.

George holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

George and his wife of 16 years, Mary, live in Dallas, Texas with their two children, Eleanor and Wilson. George is an avid sports fan — particularly professional and college football and basketball. George and Mary love to travel, try new restaurants in Dallas and hold Felix family movie nights most Friday nights. George and Mary are active volunteers at their kids’ schools, and George coaches Wilson’s basketball team.

His favorites at Chili’s? Southwestern Eggrolls

Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Brinker International, Inc.

James Butler

James Butler is senior vice president and chief supply chain officer for Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®.

In this role, he oversees all supply chain functions including procurement, food safety and quality assurance, distribution and logistics, brand program management and supply chain systems for Brinker’s corporate-owned restaurants. James also ensures supply chain initiatives are consistent and support Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy® brand visions and objectives.

Before joining Brinker, James was senior vice president of supply chain at Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, LLC (RSCS) – a Yum! Brands Co-Op. While there he led and transformed the supply chain management organization supporting Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. Before RSCS, James served as vice president of strategy and integrated business planning at Georgia Pacific and spent several years as a leader and management consultant with Deloitte Consulting, LLC. He has a strong track record of linking operational strategies with commercial objectives to deliver lasting value and inspiring a shared vision that transforms organizations.

Earlier in his career, James held various roles in sales and marketing with AT&T, International Paper and Verizon Wireless. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Kentucky and an MBA from Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management.

Outside of work, James sits on the alumni boards for his alma maters and serves as a coach and mentor, providing career guidance for young men and women entering college. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Catalina, and their three children, Mateo, Mia and Tomas. They love traveling together, especially to South America to visit Catalina’s family. When they’re home, they can be found following their favorite college football and basketball teams or dancing around the living room to their favorite music.

His favorite Chili’s dish? Bacon Rancher, the Classic Sirloin, Fajitas – and sharing a Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie or a Molten Chocolate Cake with his kids!

His favorite Maggiano’s dish? Calamari, Wedge Salad and Our Famous Rigatoni “D”®

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Chili’s® Grill & Bar

Doug Comings

Doug Comings is senior vice president and chief operating officer for Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®.

In this role, he oversees operations for more than 1,200 Chili's restaurants across the U.S. to ensure best-in-class operations and deliver excellent Guest and Team Member experiences.

Doug began his career with Brinker International, Inc. in 1994 as a Chili’s server in Charlotte, NC. Shortly after, he transferred to Atlanta to further develop his career and quickly rose through the restaurant ranks becoming a Managing Partner. In 2001, Doug was promoted to Area Director where he oversaw Chili’s restaurants in the Atlanta area and southeast region. In 2010, he became Regional Director of the Texas and Oklahoma markets. A few years later, Doug was named Vice President of Domestic Franchise, where he focused on strengthening the relationships with the franchise partners and growing the Chili’s franchise business. In 2015, Doug’s responsibilities grew to a dual role as Vice President of Domestic Franchise and Regional Vice President of company operations. In this position, he oversaw operations for more than 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants. In 2016, Doug’s hands-on operations experience and extensive knowledge of the business led to his most recent role as chief operating officer for Chili’s.

Doug holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Denison University. While in his role as Managing Partner, he earned an MBA in International Business from Georgia State University. He plays a key role in Chili’s community outreach, currently leading the brand’s longstanding partnership campaign with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

Doug lives in Frisco, Texas, with his wife Stephanie and two daughters, Alyssa and Jessica. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, exercising and watching his daughters participate in cheerleading and tennis.

His favorite Chili’s dish? Chips & Ranch and Burger Bites

Senior Vice President and General Counsel & Secretary, Brinker International, Inc.

Dan Fuller

Dan Fuller is senior vice president and general counsel and secretary at Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®.

In his role, Dan oversees all legal affairs, corporate governance, compliance, asset management and property management. He also leads a cross-functional team that works on sustainability initiatives. He started his career at Brinker in 2014 as corporate counsel before becoming vice president, general counsel and secretary in 2018. Before joining Brinker, he was an attorney with the law firm of Perkins Coie, practicing in general corporate and business matters, real estate and mergers and acquisitions.

Dan also actively serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Restaurant Law Center.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law.

Dan enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. He likes hiking, running, wakeboarding and playing pickleball. He also volunteers his time to serve church youth group organizations.

His favorite Chili’s dish? Chipotle Chicken Fresh Mex Bowl

His favorite Maggiano’s dish? Rigatoni “D”

Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, Brinker International, Inc.

Chris Caldwell

Chris Caldwell is senior vice president and chief informational officer at Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and its virtual brand: It’s Just Wings®.

Chris spent the past 27 years leading technology teams at Yum Brands, starting as an intern and most recently serving as the Chief Technology Officer for Kentucky Fried Chicken for the past 10 years. He was responsible for overseeing all aspects of information technology, information security, data analytics and digital technology for KFC US. In his KFC role he built a fantastic technology team, robust technology platforms and an amazing culture.

Chris and his team were responsible for building and deploying KFC’s first ecommerce solution, launching delivery, transforming the restaurant technology platform and creating a robust technology roadmap for the future. He is passionate about bringing technology solutions to life that have a positive impact on restaurant operations and customers.

Chris lives in Louisville, KY with his wife Jennifer, daughter Kaylee, and son Nathan. He enjoys spending time with his family, loves the outdoors and boating on Nolin Lake.

President, Maggiano’s Little Italy® and Senior Vice President, Brinker International, Inc.

Dominique Bartolone

Dominique Bertolone is president of Maggiano’s Little Italy® and senior vice president of Brinker International, Inc., one of the world’s leading casual dining restaurant companies and home of Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy®.

As a seasoned food and beverage executive with over 20 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Dominique leads strategy and direction for Maggiano’s and oversees growth and development, operations, marketing, culinary and Human Resources.

Before joining Brinker in 2023, Dominique most recently served as senior vice president of food and beverage strategy and development at MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas, where he oversaw strategy development and execution around the company’s vast portfolio of restaurants, bars, lounges and nightlife venues. He also previously worked at Bellagio Resort & Casino for 15 years, during which he became a respected industry leader, and at the SBM Hospitality Group in Monaco, where he assumed different roles in several palaces and resorts such as Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo Beach, Monte Carlo Golf Club and Palais Princier de Monaco.

Dominique holds a Bachelor of Tourism Studies from Lycee Hotelier de Monte-Carlo.

Dominique enjoys spending time with his wife, Melissa, and their son, Luca. Dominique is originally from Monaco and speaks fluent Italian, French and English. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising and traveling.

His favorite Maggiano’s dish? Chicken Francese