KFC’s iconic fried chicken recipe, made from a blend of 11 herbs and spices, is over 75 years old. Its first franchised restaurant opened in 1952. In that time, what started as one location has grown to 32,000 restaurants in over 150 countries and territories, led by executives with impressive educational pedigrees and decades of experience.
But recently, six young women took over executive roles at the brand. In the United States, 20-year-old Pear took the role of KFC Global chief development officer for the day, mentored by current CDO Nivera Wallani, and KFC Global Chief People & Culture Officer Megan Verret stepped aside for Shirlyn, 19. In Thailand, Sunisa, Jiraporn, Nadtanaht and Aliya took on similar roles.
Aliya walks and talks with KFC Thailand Social Purpose & Foundation Lead Janett Rungsithikul.
“I was a little shocked when my nameplate had been changed,” Wallani said.
The CDO is joking, as the changes were all part of an activation in partnership with Plan International, a nonprofit whose partnership with KFC focuses on increasing access to skill building and career opportunities for young women. One of Plan's initiatives is to execute “Girls Takeovers,” in which participants become executives for the day, leading meetings, providing input and truly embodying their new roles.
“They were the real deal,” Yum! Chief Culture, Opportunity & Belonging Officer James Fripp said of the young women, adding that he learned as much – if not more – from them as they did from him.
Here are additional lessons from the takeover.
“When you’re interviewing with leaders, don’t think that you’re below them. View them as equals. You will learn as much from them as they will from you,” Shirlyn said of what she learned from Verret.
“I told Shirlyn, do not be afraid to raise your hand and say what you want. I read a study that said ‘66% of female CEOs didn’t know they could be CEO beforehand.’ Know that you do belong in that role,” Verret said.
“KFC Global Division CEO Scott Mezvinsky said that he had worked in different positions and different countries throughout his career, which helped him learn how to adapt to different environments, but he still suffered from Imposter Syndrome. Am I capable of doing this? Sometimes we doubt ourselves. For me, sometimes I wonder if I’m too young, but I should just trust that I’m in the role for a reason,” Pear said.
“Pear talked about finding your personal genius, which is a way to think about our leadership philosophy at KFC, which is ‘Smart, Heart and Courage.’ Your personal genius is your smart, so consider the competency set that you have and combine it with your passion. When you put those two things together, you create something so powerful,” Wallani said.
While the Girls Takeover at KFC has come to an end, the brand continues to create lasting community impact through its Feeding People's Potential strategy by increasing access to upskilling and vocational development opportunities for the next generation of leaders around the world.
