US-based restaurant chain Jack in the Box has announced that its CEO Darin Harris will step down to assume a new role outside the restaurant industry.
To facilitate a seamless transition, he will continue to serve as a consultant until 14 March 2025.
From 24 February Lance Tucker, the company's executive vice-president and chief financial officer, will step in as interim principal executive officer.
Tucker, a professional with two decades of corporate finance experience in the restaurant industry, has been chief financial officer at Jack in the Box since 13 January 2025.
Before rejoining Jack in the Box, Tucker served as the chief financial officer at CKE Restaurants Holdings, the parent company of the Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s brands, from September 2020 to January 2022.
His background includes a fourteen-year tenure at Papa John's International, where he served in senior leadership roles including chief financial officer and treasurer, chief administrative officer, and senior vice-president of strategy and chief of staff.
During Tucker's tenure as interim principal executive officer, Dawn Hooper, senior vice president and controller, will take on the role of interim principal financial officer.
With more than two decades of association with the brand, Hooper has held several senior finance positions within the company,
She previously acted as principal financial officer for three separate terms, the most recent being from November 2024 to January 2025.
Jack in the Box board chairman David Goebel said: “On behalf of the company, I want to thank Darin for his contributions as CEO for the past five years.
“With Lance’s multi-faceted, strategic expertise over the last 20 years at executive level, we are excited to welcome him as the interim CEO.
“The board is confident in Lance’s ability to build upon the existing foundation in a way that balances our growth and financial goals, while ensuring that the company remains competitive in the rapidly evolving quick-service restaurant landscape.”
In February 2025, Jack in the Box introduced the Big Smashed Jack burger, an enhanced version of its original Smashed Jack.
The Big Smashed Jack features two quarter-pound smashed patties, American cheese, fresh toppings and a special sauce in a triple brioche bun.
