Long before taking charge of KFC’s US business in April 2025, Catherine Tan-Gillespie entered the restaurant industry as a 13-year-old dishwasher at Beefeater in the UK, earning £1.20 an hour. She eventually progressed to assistant general manager. After becoming the first member of her family to attend university, she graduated from the University of Plymouth in 1996 with a business education.
Rather than pursuing salary increases or prestigious titles, Tan-Gillespie sought roles that challenged her and offered opportunities to learn. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson became a role model: she admired the combination of creativity and consideration for customers and employees. That outlook also influenced her choice of employer. She was prepared to leave organisations whose cultures restricted her personality, while KFC’s working environment attracted her. Joining in 2015, she oversaw marketing in Australia and New Zealand before becoming global chief marketing officer in 2017. She subsequently led KFC Canada in 2024, ahead of her appointment to the US presidency.
Her advice to younger workers similarly emphasises authenticity and a willingness to accept discomfort. She admires their readiness to express opinions and pursue the opportunities they want, encouraging them to advocate for both themselves and others. Rather than treating confidence as a prerequisite for action, she argues that courage involves proceeding despite fear. When confronted with a difficult decision, she recommends considering how one would act without that fear, then examining the worst possible outcome.
