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Richard Snead, president and chief executive officer of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, is a company veteran and a driving force behind the growth of the T.G.I. Friday's® and Pick Up Stix restaurant brands.
As president and CEO Snead has had tremendous success with the T.G.I. Friday's brand, including a complete revitalization of the brand that started in '03 and will be complete by the end of '06. Snead is leading the change by redesigning restaurant interiors and exteriors, changing the music format, uniforms, menu layout and selections and he has embarked on a training program that will strengthen and enhance the traditional high energy service style.
Before his appointment as company president and CEO, Snead served as president of the international division of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, where his leadership created tremendous international growth with the addition of restaurants in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe. This growth and success continues and Snead plays a critical role in ensuring T.G.I. Friday's remains the global casual dining leader.
Prior to joining Carlson Restaurants in 1997, Snead was senior vice president of store operations and retail development at Casual Corner Group, Inc., where he was responsible for more than 1,000 retail stores with annual sales of more than $1 billion and employment of more than 12,000. Snead also served as president of new business development and head of international business for Lenscrafters and has an extensive background in the fast food sector with more than 15 years experience at Burger King Corporation where he held several executive positions including president of the international division, managing director of Burger King United Kingdom, Ltd., executive vice president of development for North America and executive vice president of operations.
Snead is incredibly active in the business and academic communities. He is Chairman of the NRA's Save American Free Enterprise (SAFE) Committee, Vice Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee, and serves on the NRA Board of Directors. In addition, he is a member of the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) and a former SIBF Board Chair (2005). He continues to serve on the SIBF Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating Committee, and Chairman's Council. Snead is also proud to continue his relationship with the University of Tennessee, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. He serves on their Board of Advisory for the College of Engineering and is a former advisor for the School of Hotel & Restaurants as well as a former Executive Committee member for the College of Human Ecology.
In late 2004, Snead was recognized with MUFSO's prestigious Operator of the Year award, the highest honor given in the casual dining industry. In 2005, he was honored as a Carlson Fellows recipient for his "Innovation", and also named a finalist for Best Executive in the 2005 American Business Awards. Most recently, he has been named by the Texas Diversity Council as one of five recipients who will receive the CEO Leadership Excellence Award for his commitment to diversity. | 