Pizza Hut global CEO Aaron Powell will step down from the role when LongRange Capital completes its acquisition of the business outside mainland China later this month.

Powell announced his departure in a personal message, saying LongRange had offered him a continuing role but that he believed completion of the transaction was the right time to move on.

“I’ve always believed in leaving things better than you found them, and this business is in a better state,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post. 

“I am proud of what we did together: one global Pizza Hut, historic unit growth, strong international growth, and a US business that is on the right track delivering positive transaction growth.” 

Yum Brands appointed Powell as Pizza Hut’s global CEO in 2021, tasking him with driving the brand’s global strategy and growth. Before joining Pizza Hut, Powell held senior leadership roles at Kimberly-Clark.

His departure comes as Yum Brands prepares to sell Pizza Hut in a two-part transaction. LongRange is acquiring the business outside mainland China, while Yum China is acquiring Pizza Hut’s mainland China operations.