Kim Jung-eun / Courtesy of PH Korea
Pizza Hut’s new operator in Korea is betting that a veteran field executive with decades of restaurant experience can revive one of the country’s most recognizable pizza chains after years of financial turmoil and franchisee strain.
PH Korea said Wednesday that it had nominated Kim Jung-eun, a former executive vice president overseeing sales operations at Pizza Hut Korea, as its first CEO ahead of the company’s official launch on Sunday.
PH Korea was jointly established by Wintergold and K-Clavis Investment Management to operate the Pizza Hut franchise business in Korea.
The company said Kim’s appointment reflected a strategy centered on rebuilding trust with franchise owners and restoring the brand’s competitiveness in the crowded food delivery and dining market.
Kim has spent 23 years in the food and beverage industry, including at Outback Steakhouse Korea, where she built a reputation as an operations specialist with extensive frontline experience.
She began her career managing restaurant operations before moving into broader leadership roles overseeing sales and new business development across franchise businesses.
PH Korea said Kim played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic by coordinating relationships among stores, headquarters and delivery platforms while helping stabilize delivery-focused operations.
The company said her “soft charisma” and experience managing franchise operations made her the right choice to lead Pizza Hut’s restructuring and coexistence strategy with franchise owners.
Female chief executives with operational field backgrounds remain rare in Korea’s restaurant franchise industry, making the appointment notable within the sector.
Source: Korea Times News
