Wendy’s Appoints Tariq Hassan as New Chief Marketing Officer

Wendy’s is charging ahead with its brand turnaround plan.

Taking immediate effect as of 24 August, Tariq Hassan has been appointed Wendy’s new Chief Marketing Officer.

He succeeds Lindsay Radkoski, who was in the CMO role for over two years and will now assist Tariq during his transition period.

Commenting on his appointment, Tariq says: “Wendy’s is an iconic American brand that has something special most brands spend decades trying to build, a real point of view that our customers genuinely feel. My focus will be on reigniting that passionate connection with our brand to show up more powerfully in every experience, everywhere our fans meet us.”

Tariq will be responsible for overseeing Wendy’s brand management, its marketing strategy and campaign designs.

Keeping in the fast (food) lane

Bringing over three decades of marketing and brand transformation experience, Tariq is transitioning to Wendy’s after recently serving as McDondald’s CMO and Customer Experience Officer for almost four years.

Tariq quickly made an impact during his time at McDonald and was an integral part of global campaigns like ‘Adult Happy Meals’ and ‘Grimace’s Birthday’. 

Responsible for helping drive impressive engagement and boosted sales, Tariq was recognised as a powerful force putting the brand at the centre of culture.

“Tariq’s appointment is another meaningful step in returning Wendy’s to profitable growth,” said Bob Wright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wendy’s. “He is a proven brand and team builder with a distinctive ability to connect culture, technology and consumer insight to drive measurable growth.”

Wendy’s continue its 'Project Fresh' execution

Following shaky sales that have been steadily declining, the fast food chain announced its turnaround plan last October. 

Titled ‘Project Fresh’, it focuses on revitalising the brand, driving profits and enhancing value for shareholders by focusing on growth and profitability.

After six quarters of sale drops, Tariq’s appointment hopes to see a rebound from these figures and a steady growth pipeline.

Bob adds: “We need to sharpen marketing. We’ve been over reliant on a calendar of one-off promotions and collaborations rather than a consistent, relevant brand narrative grounded in our equity and what Wendy’s stands for.” 

To aid its reformative plan, Wendy’s plans to push demand-driven marketing and an increased social media presence to encourage brand awareness.

Who are Wendy’s key partners?

Uber Eats

Wendy's partners with Uber Eats to offer delivery through the app, expanding accessibility beyond in-store and drive-thru orders. This is one of several third-party delivery partnerships (alongside DoorDash and others) that Wendy's uses to reach customers who want food brought to them, boosting order volume and convenience without requiring Wendy's to build its own delivery fleet. 

Netflix

Wendy's partnered with Netflix to promote Season 2 of "Wednesday," launching a limited-time "Meal of Misfortune" featuring nuggets, fries, mystery "Dips of Dread" sauces, and a Raven's Blood Frosty. Timed around the show's premiere, the collaboration paired two culturally iconic, red-haired characters and leaned into custom gothic-themed packaging and marketing. 

Google Cloud

Wendy's partnered with Google Cloud in 2023 to develop FreshAI, a generative AI and large language model system aimed at transforming the drive-thru ordering experience. Since 75-80% of Wendy's customers order via drive-thru, the tool was designed to handle complex menu requests, special orders, and background noise, streamlining ordering accuracy and speed without requiring additional staff at the window.