ATLANTA – Russ Sumrall has been promoted to senior vice presiednt of international strategic development at Church’s Chicken, along with its sister brands Texas Chicken and Church’s Texas Chicken.

Mr. Sumrall previously was vice president of international development and franchisee profitability for Church's. He helped launch Texas Chicken into seven countries in East Africa, Cambodia and Qatar. During his tenure, Mr. Sumrall also grew businesses in Canadian provinces and grew new business with existing franchisees in Mexico, Thailand, Singapore and the Middle East. By the end of 2020, Mr. Sumrall had helped open 76 new locations around the world, the company said.

Before joining Church’s Chicken in 2018, Mr. Sumrall spent 40 years with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, starting as a restaurant crew member in 1977 and climbing to vice president of international supply chain management, quality assurance and product commercialization in 2015, a role he held until 2017. After that, he was chief operations and development officer for Kudu Company for Food and Catering.

“Even in the most challenging of times, Russ has effectively navigated new country entries and robust development agreements that focus on improving profitability across APAC, EMEA, and the Americas,” said Kevin Corning, executive vice president of international business. “I am proud of the leadership Russ brings to our brands and our tremendous growth across the world.”