CANTON, MASS. — David Hoffmann has been named chief executive officer of Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. He succeeds Nigel Travis, who will transition to an executive chairman role and remain involved with the company. Mr. Hoffmann will serve on the company's board of directors and remain president of Dunkin' Donuts U.S., a role he has held since he joined the company in October 2016.

Previously, Mr. Hoffmann was president of High Growth Markets at McDonald's Corp. As president of Dunkin' Donuts U.S., he has led all aspects of the brand's operations, supply chain, marketing, consumer packaged goods growth, digital innovation and franchise development and directed the creation of the Dunkin' Donuts next-generation concept store.

“When we recruited Dave to Dunkin’ Brands 18 months ago with the intent that he would succeed me as c.e.o., we knew that we were getting a world-class leader with extensive restaurant industry expertise, and he has exceeded all of our expectations," Mr. Travis said. "From his development and implementation of the Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. Blueprint for Growth, to the relationships he has forged with our franchisees and the talent management skills he has exhibited, Dave has demonstrated he is exactly the person to lead the next phase of our global growth. I look forward to supporting him in his new role and am confident that under his leadership Dunkin’ Brands will continue to meet the needs of our franchisees, our employees, our shareholders and, most importantly, our guests.”

Nigel Travis will retire as c.e.o. of Dunkin' Brands.

Mr. Travis is retiring after more than nine years as c.e.o. of the company. He led Dunkin' Brands to complete a successful initial public offering in 2011 and guided the company through dramatic growth as it entered 25 new international markets and added almost 6,000 net new restaurants globally, including more than 2,800 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the United States. He also has directed the introduction of Dunkin' Donuts branded packaged goods in retail and oversaw the launch of digital technology initiatives including mobile payment apps and home delivery programs.

"Thanks to Nigel, our franchisees around the world have flourished; our asset-light model has yielded strong shareholder returns, and we are well-positioned for long-term growth," Mr. Hoffmann said. "I look forward to collaborating with Nigel, the board, our leadership team, employees and of course our great franchisees to further differentiate both our brands through cutting edge marketing, menu innovation, digital leadership, value and restaurant excellence. We have a strong legacy and an even more exciting future together.”