Burger King has appointed Joel Yashinsky as chief marketing officer (CMO) for the US and Canada.
Yashinsky’s task is to further develop the brand’s “Reclaim the Flame” strategy, which has been supported by Burger King franchisees.
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His quick-service restaurant (QSR) marketing experience brings valuable insights to the role.
He succeeds Pat O’Toole, who resigned in November 2024.
Burger King US and Canada president Tom Curtis stated: “We are thrilled to welcome Joel to the Burger King leadership team and the broader BK family. Joel joins us at an exciting time for the brand, and brings the ideal mix of strategic marketing experience, brand-building creativity and leadership expertise to help fuel our next chapter.”
Yashinsky joined Burger King from Applebee’s, where he has served as chief marketing officer (CMO) since 2018.
He previously held multiple marketing roles at McDonald’s for 18 years, including a four-year tenure as CMO of McDonald’s Canada from 2010 to 2014.
Burger King, a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), operates more than 19,000 locations across 120 countries and US territories.
The restaurants are independently owned and operated by franchisees.
In early 2025, RBI, the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, acquired Burger King China from TFI Asia Holdings BV and Pangaea Two Acquisition Holdings XXIII (Cartesian) for $158m.
The acquisition allows RBI full ownership of the equity interests previously held by these companies, granting it increased oversight of Burger King’s operations in China.
