Chipotle Mexican Grill has found its new brand leader.
On April 27, the Newport Beach-based chain named former Burger King executive Fernando Machado chief brand officer, effective June 1.
He replaces Chris Brandt, the former president and chief brand officer who left in January. Brandt joined Chipotle eight years ago, shortly after his former Taco Bell boss Brian Niccol arrived. Together, they helped drive a major turnaround of the fresh-Mex chain, expanding access through an improved digital app and reinforcing the chain’s “food with integrity” message.
Stephanie Perdue, who was serving as interim chief marketing officer, has been promoted to senior vice president of brand marketing.
Returning to Restaurants
For Machado, joining Chipotle marks his return to a major restaurant brand.
It’s been five years since he left his role as global chief marketing officer at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Popeyes, Burger King, Firehouse Subs and Tim Hortons.
“His proven track record in building iconic brands, driving category-defining innovation, and leading customer-centric marketing strategies positions him to elevate our brand, deepen guest loyalty, highlight the value of our real food, and accelerate our long-term growth,” Chipotle Chief Executive Scott Boatwright said in a statement.
Machado is stepping in as Chipotle has struggled to increase store visits. Its stock has plummeted 35% year-over-year.
When Brandt left, Chipotle’s marketing efforts aimed to address its current slowdown in foot traffic and same-store sales. During his tenure, the burrito chain’s market cap rose from $7 billion to over $70 billion. His last projects included a partnership with the PGA Tour, which made Chipotle the “Official Mexican Restaurant” of the professional golf organization, and new digital features on Playstation’s EA SPORTS college football online tournaments.
Chipotle last week reported first-quarter revenue of $3.1 billion, up 7.4% from a year ago, meeting analysts’ expectations for the period ended March 31. Same-store sales increased by 0.5%.
Chipotle shares were down to $33.64 apiece at press time, with a market cap of $43 billion (NYSE: CMG).
Returning to Food & Beverage
Machado spent seven years at RBI, starting at Burger King as the head of brand marketing, then later adding Popeyes and Tim Hortons as the parent company’s global CMO.
Before he resigned in 2021, Machado oversaw a notable rebrand at Burger King—the first in 20 years—that touched the brand’s logo, employee uniforms and food packaging.
He left RBI in 2021 to become chief marketing officer at Activision Blizzard, where he remained for two years.
His brand and marketing career kicked off at Unilever in 1996, where he started as a part-time intern in São Paulo, Brazil, and stayed for 18 years, working his way up in the brand development division.
The executive has kept busy since leaving Activision three years ago. He was a board member of customer engagement platform Braze, an operating partner at private equity firm Garnett Station Partners and a senior marketing advisor at an AI startup called NotCo (Nasdaq: BRZE).
Chipotle said Machado will begin leading the chain’s global marketing strategy from its Newport Beach headquarters in June.
“Chipotle has built one of the most distinctive and culturally relevant brands in the industry, and I look forward to building on that strong foundation through authentic storytelling, focused product development, and meaningful guest experiences,” Machado said in a statement.
The company also named Arlie Sisson as its first chief digital officer, tasked with expanding digital innovation and loyalty efforts. Sisson previously led digital strategy at Hyatt Hotels.
Chipotle’s Marketing Fun
Chipotle Mexican Grill has made strides in becoming a brand name and a top restaurant chain through multiple marketing efforts with social media influencers, professional sports teams and college campuses.
Under former chief brand officer Chris Brandt, the fast-casual chain attempted to fuel traffic via campaigns that turned Chipotle dishes into candles and Halloween costumes, and partnerships that brought the custom meals of Olympic athletes and TikTok creators to its mobile ordering app.
Chipotle has also borrowed ideas from internet memes a few times, introducing consumer products such as cilantro-flavored soap and blankets that resemble its foil-wrapped burritos.
The latest edition of Chipotle’s tattoo promotion on Friday the 13th in March—which Brandt first launched in 2025—added a collaboration with hip-hop artist Swae Lee to co-create an exclusive temporary tattoo flash sheet. Chipotle later reported that the one-hour, in-restaurant offer ended up generating the highest single-day sales in the company’s history.
