Fast food chain Whataburger hired Todd Huetinck as its new chief supply chain officer, according to an Oct. 1 press release.
Huetinck is relocating to San Antonio, the home of the restaurant’s headquarters, for the role. His first day was Oct. 1.
Prior to Whataburger, Huetinck spent 18 years in supply chain and quality assurance roles at CKE Restaurants, the parent company of fast food franchises Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. Huetinck was most recently SVP of supply chain management for CKE, overseeing operations for 3,000 restaurant locations.
Huetinck also led the purchasing, distribution, quality assurance/product compliance and restaurant food safety departments at CKE, while managing more than $1 billion in annual purchases and a distribution network of 15 warehouses.
Before ascending to the SVP of supply chain management role, Huetinck was heavily involved in CKE’s quality assurance department, climbing from compliance management to VP of quality assurance and then VP of purchasing and quality assurance.
Huetinck’s accomplishments within the quality assurance function included introducing a software-as-a-service system for supplier and product management and leading global quality assurance and food safety for 3,600 restaurants in 40 countries.
"At Whataburger, we are sticklers for quality, and Todd’s extensive background in developing quality systems across vast geographies was particularly valuable to us,” Whataburger EVP and Chief Administrative Officer Alexander Ivannikov in the press release. “While our growth plans are ambitious, we only expand if we can maintain the same high standards for both product and experience.”
In July, Whataburger opened its first location in South Carolina while announcing plans to add nine more restaurants in the state by the end of the year. The fast food chain now has more than 1,000 locations across 16 states.
“I was drawn to Whataburger by its rich heritage and legacy, and I look forward to growing the brand while honoring the traditions that shaped it,” Huetinck said in the press release.
Amid its continued expansion, the company is shifting its leadership ranks. CEO Ed Nelson will retire later this year, with current EVP and Chief Operating Officer Debbie Stroud stepping in as his replacement on Jan. 1.
