Brian Niccol is Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG). He assumed the role of Chairman in March 2020, and under his leadership as Chief Executive Officer, a role he’s held since March 2018, Chipotle has seen accelerated comparable sales growth. Driving the brand’s purpose to Cultivate a Better World, Mr. Niccol has focused on increasing visibility, expanding access, fostering innovation, and encouraging engagement with employees and consumers.
A leader in the food industry, Chipotle has received global recognition and honors during Mr. Niccol’s tenure including the Fortune 500 (2021), Fortune’s Most Admired Companies (2021, 2020), Forbes magazine Best Employers for Diversity (2019-2021), Newsweek magazine’s America’s Most Responsible Companies (2020), one of Comparably’s Best Companies for Culture, Diversity and for Women (2019, 2020) Best Companies for Perks & Benefits, Happiness and Best Professional Development (2020).
Mr. Niccol has been placed on notable lists including Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ (2019), Bloomberg’s ‘People who Defined 2019’ (The Bloomberg 50), EatingWell’s American Food Heroes (2021), Comparably’s ‘Best CEO’s (2019), Best CEOs for Women and Diversity (2020) Orange County Business Journal’s ‘Business People of the Year’ (2020), as well as named ‘Leader of the Year’ by Restaurant Business magazine (2020), Nation’s Restaurant News’ The Power List (2021) and a ‘Distinguished Alumni’ by University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business (2020).
Prior to his current role, Mr. Niccol served as Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell, a division of Yum! Brands. During his tenure at Taco Bell, Mr. Niccol was Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer and President. Mr. Niccol also held several executive positions at Pizza Hut, another division of Yum! Brands, including General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer. Before joining Yum! Brands, Mr. Niccol spent 10 years at Procter & Gamble, serving in various brand management positions.
Mr. Niccol currently serves on the board of directors of KB Home, one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., and The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, Chipotle’s nonprofit organization. He previously served on the board of Harley-Davidson. Mr. Niccol holds an undergraduate degree from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.