The former CEO of fast-food giant Restaurant Brands International (RBI) has been appointed chairman of Pret A Manger.
José Cil, who previously led brands including Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs, played a key role in growing RBI’s sales to over £30 billion.
Under his leadership, the company grew to operate 30,000 restaurants across more than 100 countries.
Cil succeeds Konrad Meyer as chairman, with Meyer remaining on Pret A Manger’s board as a director.
Meyer played a key role in Pret’s acquisition by global investment firm JAB in 2018 and has served on Pret’s board since then, including a stint as interim chief financial officer in 2020.
Under Cil’s leadership, Pret A Manger aims to accelerate its international growth and strengthen partnerships with local franchisees.
In the last five years, the sandwich giant has expanded its global presence to 21 countries, with international sales now accounting for a quarter of Pret’s total revenue.
He will be supported by seasoned industry experts Elias Diaz Sese, co-founder of Popeyes UK, non-executive director at Domino’s Pizza Group, and former senior executive at Kraft Heinz as well as RBI brands Tim Hortons and Burger King, and Andre Molinari, former head of global development and mergers and acquisitions at RBI and former head of international development at Tim Hortons.
Cil will also assume a broader role as chairman of JAB’s restaurant platform, which encompasses brands like Panera Bread, Einstein Bros Bagels, Caribou Coffee, and Espresso House.
Chief executive of Pret A Manger, Pano Christou, said: “José’s vast experience in restaurants and franchising will play an invaluable role in making Pret a truly successful, fast-growing global business.
“I’m looking forward to working with José to help us deepen relationships with our franchise partners and drive sustainable profitable growth. I would also like to thank Konrad for his exceptional support these past seven years and we will continue to value his guidance as an ongoing member of the Pret board.”
Cil added: “I have a huge amount of admiration for Pret A Manger and believe we have only scratched the surface when it comes to fulfilling Pret’s true potential. Elias and Andre are two exceptional leaders that will bring tremendous value to the board, and I want to thank Konrad for helping Pret get back to what it does best.
“I’m looking forward to working with Pano and the wider management team to double down on Pret’s simple, winning recipe: delicious, freshly made food and coffee, served by friendly, high performing teams in shops and restaurants across the world.”
Pret A Manger opened its first store in London in 1986 and has since expanded to 700 locations worldwide, spanning markets from Hong Kong to Qatar.
