The Wendy’s Company has named Pete Suerken president, United States, effective July 23.

Suerken will report to interim Chief Executive Officer Ken Cook and serve on the Wendy’s senior leadership team, according to a news release. He succeeds Abigail Pringle, who has served as president, U.S., since 2024 and will depart the company to pursue other opportunities after a transition period with Suerken.

“Delivering exceptional customer experiences, increasing restaurant-level profitability and accelerating growth are crucial priorities for our U.S. business,” said Cook. “I am confident Pete will lead our business with operational excellence and intensity, helping us achieve our long-term strategic priorities to create value for our franchisees, employees and shareholders.”

Suerken has served as president and CEO of Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op, the independent purchasing cooperative for the Wendy’s system, since 2021. Prior to joining QSCC, Suerken served as president of Resin Technology Inc., a packaging and materials provider. He also spent 13 years at Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, the co-op of Yum! Brands.

“The opportunity to lead the U.S. business for this iconic brand is exciting and humbling,” said Suerken. “I have had the privilege to serve our franchisees and company operators as CEO of QSCC for the past five years and now look forward to working with them as president, U.S., to drive profitable growth for our restaurants while continuing to build a high-performance culture and best-in-class customer experience.”

Wendy’s will release its second quarter results on Aug. 8.