GoTo Foods, the parent company of Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s, has appointed Omer Gajial as its new CEO.
His appointment follows the company’s multi-year transformation, which included a rebrand from Focus Brands and a restructuring to align systems and technology across its seven franchised brands.
Gajial, who succeeds Jim Holthouser, who is retiring after six years in the role, will be based at GoTo Foods’ Atlanta headquarters.
He previously served as chief merchandising and digital officer at Albertsons. He earlier held leadership roles at Amazon, overseeing category development and North America marketplace operations, as well as at PepsiCo in strategy and marketing functions across global markets.
“These brands have a rich legacy of delighting customers worldwide,” said Gajial. “I look forward to working alongside our talented team and franchisees to build on that success. Together, we will continue to focus on product innovation, enhancing the guest experiences, scaling efficiencies and driving franchise profitability.”
GoTo Foods, owned by Roark Capital, oversees seven franchised brands. The company also licenses Seattle’s Best Coffee at select military bases and in certain international markets. It operates and franchises more than 7100 locations in the US and in 70 international markets.
