Long John Silver’s named Marie Zhang as chief food innovation officer. Zhang will be responsible for menu innovation, new product development, commercialization, food safety, product quality and management of the company’s supply chain.
Prior to joining Long John Silver’s, Zhang spent nearly nine years at Atlanta-based HoneyBaked Ham where she led all aspects of the company’s supply chain including quality, new product innovation, commercialization and food safety.
"Marie is a terrific addition to our incredibly experienced leadership team,” said Mike Kern, chief executive officer, Long John Silver’s. "She is very focused on managing our supply chain to be cost-efficient and developing new products that drive increased profitability for our restaurants.”
Zhang’s experience also includes ConAgra Foods and Peer Foods Group Inc., where she was director of Quality Assurance and Research & Development. Zhang holds dual master’s degrees in Food Science and Chemistry from Iowa State University. She completed her undergraduate work at the prestigious Jilin University earning a bachelor’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry.
“Marie is a great example of the kind of leadership talent we have at Long John Silver’s,” said Kern. “As we work to revitalize our brand, Marie joins a team of veterans with more than 100 years of experience owning, operating, managing and growing restaurants.”
