Yum Brands – the parent company of international fast-food franchise, Pizza Hut – has appointed Beverley D’Cruz as the Chief Brand Officer for Pizza Hut META, responsible for overseeing the development and success of the brand’s image, customer experience and commitment to excellence across the region.
With an innate ability to coach and inspire, D’Cruz first joined Yum! Brands as a Marketing Manager in Dubai in 2007, before her talent led her to roles within the company in both Canada and the UK where she pioneered countless progressive initiatives and fostered the growth and development of high-caliber marketing teams.
D’Cruz’s most recent London-based role as Chief Marketing Officer saw Pizza Hut UK achieve its most successful year of the previous five in 2018. During her three-year stint, she championed Pizza Hut’s mission towards distinctive communications pivoting to become digital-centric with a focus on performance marketing.
Leading the charge on the development and roll-out of the ‘Now That’s Delivering’ creative platform, D’Cruz steered the brand toward three consecutive years of growth in the market, with the platform and its subsequent business initiatives cementing Pizza Hut’s role in modernising the pizza delivery experience across the globe, simultaneously exemplifying the company’s RED (Relevant, Easy, Distinctive) philosophy.
Prior to the UK, her role in Toronto, Canada saw D’Cruz lead the Digital Marketing transformation, driving e-commerce to account for 50 percent of all sales, having previously sat at just 9 percent.
Commenting on her appointment, D’Cruz said: “One of the pleasures of working for a global brand is the truly international nature of the business. Already, in my 13 years with YUM! Brands, I’ve had the privilege of working across three very different markets and now look forward to returning to the Middle East with the brand and category expertise I’ve acquired. In the coming months, I look forward to accelerating the modern pizza delivery experience for customers and amplifying our digital presence alongside the team, elevating Pizza Hut’s position to be the most-loved and fastest-growing brand in the region”
Randall Blackford, Managing Director for Pizza Hut Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Pakistan at Yum! Brands said: “Beverley has a proven history of success from her time working with the Pizza Hut brand and we’re excited to see what her passion and ambition will bring to META. Joining us at a pinnacle time in the evolution of Pizza Hut in the region, as well as a unique global circumstance, D’Cruz’s drive will undoubtedly see us forge new paths for the brand and the industry.”
Before joining Yum! Brands, D’Cruz studied finance and economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before working in brand and marketing manager positions at Unilever.