Chipotle Mexican Grill has appointed former KFC Global CEO Sabir Sami to its board of directors, effective immediately, bringing the total number of board members to 11 (including 10 independent directors).
Sami brings over three decades of international consumer and restaurant industry expertise to the role. During his 16-year tenure at Yum! Brands, he held key leadership positions across KFC, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill. Most recently, he served as KFC’s Global CEO from January 2022 to February 2025, where he oversaw more than 34,000 locations across 150+ countries. His earlier career spans senior roles at Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Co., and Reckitt Benckiser, as well as executive operational management for KFC across Asia, Canada, Turkey, and the Middle East.
Sami currently leads his business consulting firm, Sami Advisory, serves on the board of Save the Children Canada, and holds an MBA from the University of Karachi.
Strategic Global Expansion Focus
The board appointment aligns directly with Chipotle’s aggressive international push under CEO Scott Boatwright. The chain’s growth strategy centers on two primary goals:
- North American Scale: Expanding its current footprint of roughly 4,200 restaurants to 7,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada.
- Global Footprint: Accelerating international expansion following recent market debuts in Asia and Mexico, alongside existing markets in the UK, France, Germany, Canada, and the Middle East (via its franchise partnership with Alshaya Group).
“Sabir brings deep restaurant operating expertise and a proven track record leading brands across international markets,” stated Board Chair Scott Maw. “That experience will be invaluable as we scale Chipotle with intention, strengthen our operations and expand access to our brand around the world.”
