CKE Restaurants has appointed Alisa Gmelich as president of Hardee’s, giving the quick-service burger chain dedicated brand leadership as its parent company works to strengthen franchisee relationships, improve guest experience and reignite growth.
Announced on October 7, the appointment is part of a broader restructuring of CKE’s executive leadership under CEO Joe Guith. The company is establishing dedicated leadership for its two major brands, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., as it seeks to sharpen their individual market positions while strengthening operational performance across the system.
Gmelich joins Hardee’s from Sprouts Farmers Market, where she served as chief marketing officer from 2022. Her previous experience includes serving as chief brand officer at Auntie Anne’s and holding marketing leadership positions at IHOP, McDonald’s and Burger King. Her background spans brand strategy, marketing, digital transformation and franchise alignment.
CKE CEO Joe Guith said Gmelich would focus on reigniting growth, elevating the guest experience and strengthening alignment with franchisees. The appointment places a leader with experience across restaurant and retail brands at the centre of Hardee’s next phase of development.
The leadership changes reflect CKE’s effort to give Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. more focused oversight rather than treating them as interchangeable parts of one burger business.
Iwona Alter, who joined CKE in 2025 after serving as chief operating officer of Habit Burger & Grill, leads Carl’s Jr. as president. The expanded structure is intended to provide clearer accountability for brand growth, innovation, guest experience and franchise performance.
The parent company operates a system of approximately 3,600 restaurants across its brands, giving franchise alignment and consistent execution substantial importance. For a franchise-heavy organisation, brand leadership must connect marketing decisions with restaurant-level realities, including labour, food costs, local competition and the economics of individual locations.
