Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company behind stalwart casual dining names such as Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, has announced one of its most comprehensive leadership revamps in recent memory, designed to accelerate an already long-planned business transformation.
At the center of this shake-up is the appointment of Eric Christel, currently CFO of Campbell’s Company’s snacks division, as Executive Vice President and CFO-elect. Christel will officially assume the CFO role following a transition period ending around September 8. Christel brings with him deep category experience, having also held significant leadership roles at PepsiCo.
Christel will succeed Michael Healy, a 16-year veteran of Bloomin’ Brands who has served as CFO since April 2024. Healy moves into a newly created role of Executive Vice President of Strategy & Transformation, spearheading the turnaround of the Outback Steakhouse brand with support from Susan Cline, the newly elevated Group Vice President of Strategy & Transformation, who brings three decades of restaurant operations expertise.
But the leadership overhaul doesn’t stop there. Bloomin’ also unveiled several other key promotions and new hires:
- Jessica Mitory, formerly leading global total rewards and employee experience at Advance Auto Parts, joins as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective August 11.
- Ali Charri becomes SVP of Guest Insights & Analytics, stepping in from his previous role in strategy and insights at Darden Restaurants.
- Randy Scruggs is promoted to SVP of Supply Chain.
- Tara Kurian takes on an expanded portfolio as SVP for Investor Relations, Financial Planning & Analysis, and International, continuing collaboration with the Strategy & Transformation team.
- John Bettin, former CEO of Miller’s Ale House and The Palm Restaurant Group, joins as President of Bonefish Grill, expected to begin on September 2; his predecessor, Mark Graff, will depart on November 1.
According to CEO Mike Spanos, these moves are intended to “these organizational updates enhance our bench strength, creating a more effective team that is committed to operational excellence.”—a core strategic objective for Bloomin’s refreshed C-suite.
Bloomin’ Brands is doubling down on transformative leadership. By aligning finance, strategy, operations, HR, analytics, and brand-specific leadership under purpose-built roles, the chain manifests a confident lean toward stabilization and growth. For restaurant industry leaders, this serves as a case study in how thoughtful C-suite structuring can align group-wide performance with individual brand revival.
