Catherine Tan-Gillespie started working at 13. She washed dishes at a British restaurant called Beefeater for £1.20 an hour. Later, she helped manage a restaurant. She became the first person in her family to go to college. She studied business and finished in 1996. She then worked at companies including HP, Frito-Lay, and Sony Pictures.
Tan-Gillespie chose jobs for the chance to learn, not for more money or bigger job titles. She wanted to be like Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group. She liked his new ideas and his care for people. She left companies when she felt she could not be herself. In 2015, she joined KFC to help sell its food in Australia and New Zealand. She later led this work around the world. She became KFC’s leader in Canada in 2024 and its U.S. leader in April 2025.
Now she wants to improve KFC’s U.S. business. Sales are falling. Other restaurants offer more competition, and customers care more about health and have less money to spend. KFC is trying to reach younger customers through work with online video star iShowSpeed and changes to its food and restaurants. Tan-Gillespie also tells young people to ask for opportunities. Her advice is to take chances, even when they feel afraid.
