Wendy’s is eliminating its U.S. president position and replacing it with a new chief operating officer role, marking another significant restructuring of the fast-food chain’s leadership as it works to revive its struggling domestic business.
Pete Suerken, who has served as Wendy’s President, U.S. since July 2025, will remain in the position through August 31 before returning to his previous role as president and CEO of Quality Supply Chain Co-Op (QSCC), according to a company filing reported by Nation’s Restaurant News.
Suerken joined Wendy’s after leading QSCC from 2021 to 2025. The independent purchasing cooperative manages nearly $4 billion in contracts covering food, proprietary paper, operating supplies and equipment for the Wendy’s system in the U.S. and Canada. Before QSCC, Suerken was president of packaging and materials company Resin Technology and previously spent 13 years at Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, Yum! Brands’ supply-chain cooperative.
The move is part of a broader restructuring under Wendy’s CEO Bob Wright. The company is actively recruiting a new COO, a role that will replace the U.S. president position. Wright had previously said on the company’s earnings call that Wendy’s was evaluating restructuring efforts as it sought to address challenges in its core market.
The organizational shift comes after a period of repeated changes to Wendy’s operating structure. The company originally created the U.S. president role in 2019 while eliminating its COO position. It eliminated the U.S. president role again in early 2023, before reinstating it in 2024 under then-CEO Kirk Tanner, who appointed Abigail Pringle. After Tanner’s unexpected departure, Pringle left the company, and Suerken was subsequently appointed to the role.
