The general manager of Starbucks Coffee New Zealand is crossing the Tasman to head up Starbucks' Australian operations.
Restaurant Brands, which operates Starbucks, KFC and Pizza Hut in New Zealand, said in a statement Aasha Murthy would leave Starbucks Coffee New Zealand in early November to head to Sydney.
Restaurant Brands chiefexecutive Vicki Salmon will head up the business while a replacement for Ms Murthy was sought.
Meanwhile, Restaurant Brands also announced the appointment of a new non-executive independent director today.
Restaurant Brands said in a statement Progressive Enterprise boss Ted van Arkel had been appointed. The fast food operator said Mr van Arkel was due to retire as managing director of the supermarket giant -- which owns Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths.
Mr van Arkel is also a director of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and was previously a director of the New Zealand Retailers Association, and was recently appointed to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority.
Mr van Arkel's appointment as a non-executive independent director is the second for Restaurant Brands in recent months, bringing the total number of the Restaurant Brands' board to seven.
David Pilkington, former managing director of New Zealand Milk Limited, Fonterra Co-operative Group's global consumer food service business, was appointed to the board in July.
Shares in Restaurant Brand were down 3c at $1.25 in mid-afternoon trading today, having ranged between $1.02 and $1.38 over the past 12 months.
