TL;DR
KFC Global has appointed Maria Cacciapuoti as Chief Operations Officer, effective September 1, 2026. She will lead KFC's Global Operations function and partner with franchisees to modernize the brand experience.
KFC Global announced that Maria Cacciapuoti will join KFC Global as Chief Operations Officer (COO), reporting directly to Scott Mezvinsky, KFC Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 1, 2026.
In this role, Maria will lead KFC’s Global Operations function, driving operational excellence across the brand and partnering with franchisees to modernize the KFC experience for consumers and restaurant team members.
Maria joined KFC in 2015 and has held leadership roles in KFC markets around the world, including Italy, Iberia, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and most recently North Asia. Maria is known as a courageous leader who delivers results and has a passion for building high-performing teams and franchise partnerships. She brings deep expertise in operations, finance and franchising and general management, with more than 20 years of her career spent in the restaurant and retail industries, including previous roles as McDonald’s, Autogrill and Librerie Feltrinelli.
In this story
This story was originally published in QSR Magazine on July 22, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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