Catherine Tan-Gillespie, who took charge of KFC’s U.S. business in April 2025, entered the restaurant industry at 13, washing dishes at Britain’s Beefeater chain for £1.20 an hour. Raised in a middle-class British household by a nurse and a BBC lighting director, she eventually advanced to assistant general manager. She became her family’s first college student, graduating in business from the University of Plymouth in 1996, before pursuing a marketing career that included HP, Frito-Lay, and Sony Pictures.
Rather than prioritizing compensation or prestigious titles, Tan-Gillespie sought assignments that stretched her abilities without overwhelming her. She admired Virgin Group founder Richard Branson’s combination of creativity and concern for customers and employees, aspiring to follow his example. That approach also meant leaving organizations whose cultures constrained her personality. She joined KFC’s Australia and New Zealand marketing operation in 2015, became global chief marketing officer in 2017, and assumed leadership of KFC Canada in 2024 before moving to the U.S. presidency.
She now faces the challenge of reviving the American business amid declining sales, intensifying competition, and increasingly health-conscious, financially stretched consumers. Efforts to attract younger customers include a partnership with 21-year-old livestreamer iShowSpeed, alongside changes to menu offerings, branding, and restaurant layouts. Separately, Tan-Gillespie admires younger workers’ willingness to express themselves and pursue opportunities. She urges them to advocate for themselves and others, even when uncomfortable. Drawing on the 1987 self-help book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, she argues that courage involves acting despite anxiety rather than waiting for it to disappear.
