Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs—who oversees fast-food brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell—plans to retire sometime early in 2026. 

Gibbs informed the company’s board of directors of his decision, saying that he would be part of the organization through the search process until retirement. The board established a committee to name his successor.

“During my time as CEO and throughout my 36 years with Yum! Brands, it has been an honor to work alongside this incredibly talented team and our dedicated franchisees to build the most loved, trusted, and connected restaurant brands around the world,” Gibbs said in a statement. “I set out to strengthen and broaden the appeal of our iconic brands, build industry-leading digital capabilities, dramatically accelerate the pace of profitable new unit development, and amplify our people-first culture.”

Gibbs joined Yum! Brands in 1989 and has led the Louisville, Ky.-based company since 2020, right before the Covid-19 pandemic took a stronghold of the nation. He successfully navigated Yum! Brands through this chaotic period while expanding its store count from 50,000 to 61,000, translating to about a 25% increase in annual sales, or $66 billion.

“Along with the entire board of directors, I commend David for his dedication to Yum! Brands and applaud his transformative impact on the company—not just in his time as CEO, but throughout the entirety of his nearly four-decade career with Yum! Brands,” said Brian Cornell, non-executive chairman of the company’s board and chairman and CEO of Target, in a statement. “The board is committed to overseeing a thorough succession planning process and appreciates David’s continued leadership of the business, as well as the ample timeline provided to ensure a seamless leadership transition.”