Former president of Kimberly-Clark Corporation’s Asia-Pacific Consumer Business, Aaron Powell, Washington University ’93, has recently been appointed by Yum! Brands as the Global Pizza Hut division chief executive officer. Starting September 20, 2022, Aaron will end his fourteen-year run with Kimberly-Clark to carry Pizza Hut towards new growth strategies.
Since graduating from Washington University in 1993 and earning an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Aaron has over twenty-five years of industry experience and leadership. He has worked for brands such as Bain & Company and Procter & Gamble and serves on the board of directors for Sherwin-Williams.
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Aaron to the Yum! Brands and Pizza Hut family and believe this global brand division leadership structure will enable the Pizza Hut US and international teams to further implement best practices worldwide and continue their growth trajectory for franchisees and shareholders,” said David Gibbs, Yum! chief executive officer.
During his time at Kimberly-Clark, a paper-based personal care manufacturer, Powell was responsible for leading the business globally, which included launching a wide range of commercial products and services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Most recently, as president of Kimberly Powell was responsible for the company’s thirty countries, covering Australia, China, India, and South Korea.
“The chance to join an iconic, powerhouse global brand like Pizza Hut, combined with the backing of a world-class and culture-rich company like Yum! Brands, created an opportunity I knew I had to be a part of and simply couldn’t pass up,” said Powell. “I’m excited to work with Kevin and Vipul, and can’t wait to begin working alongside and building relationships with such a talented team of employees and franchisees around the world.”
