Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. Announces Executive Leadership Appointments

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB), a full-service restaurant chain serving an innovative selection of high-quality gourmet burgers in a family-friendly atmosphere, under its North Star growth plan, today announced a series of key appointments toward the completion of its Executive Leadership Team that will continue to position the Company for success and create long-term shareholder value. This includes the appointment of Kevin Mayer to Chief Marketing Officer and Mark Simpson as Interim Chief People Officer beginning May 1. In addition, Jason Rusk has been promoted to Chief Business Development Officer.

“I’m pleased to announce the addition of three talented leaders to Red Robin’s Executive Leadership Team who will provide tremendous expertise to our organization as we continue to execute our strategic North Star growth plan,” said Red Robin President and Chief Executive Officer GJ Hart. “With these crucial leadership positions in place, we are well-positioned to deliver on our goal to establish Red Robin as a most loved restaurant brand in the communities we serve and drive growth and value for our team members, partners and shareholders. As we near completion of our best-in-class leadership team, we congratulate Kevin, Mark and Jason in their new roles and look forward to sharing more regarding our permanent Chief Technology Officer in the near future.”

As CMO of Red Robin, Mr. Mayer will be responsible for brand development, marketing, digital, innovation and menu development. He brings a wealth of global marketing, sales and brand building experience and has successfully led iconic public brands during key growth periods such as BJ’s Restaurants, Volkswagen, Subaru and Chevrolet. Most recently, Mr. Mayer served as Chief Marketing Officer of Pedego Electric Bikes, where he led sales and digital marketing initiatives for the private equity-backed company. Prior, he served as EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer at BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., where he oversaw cross-functional innovation, marketing, product development, off-premise, digital and earned media, and local marketing. Mr. Mayer and his team played a crucial role in transforming the BJ’s Restaurants brand, driving it from a regional casual dining player to a nationally recognized lifestyle brand. Their efforts resulted in numerous successful product launches, one of the best retention programs in the industry and record levels of familiarity and brand love contributing to nine straight quarters of same-store traffic growth over the category.