Zaxby's Names Richard Fletcher Vice President of Talent Management

By: Zaxby's | 6 Shares 109 Reads

Training Veteran to Lead Company’s Future Growth Through Talent Development

November 19, 2012 // Franchising.com // ATHENS, Ga. - Zaxby’s announces the appointment of Richard Fletcher to vice president of talent management for Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. (ZFI). Fletcher has been with ZFI since 2003, most recently serving as senior director of learning and organizational development, where he oversaw creation and implementation of training programs and systems that led to greater efficiency and cost savings at all Zaxby’s locations.

“Richard’s newest leadership role signifies Zaxby’s commitment to developing talent and becoming a world-class training organization,” said Robert E. Baxley, Zaxby’s chief operating officer. “Richard’s professional insight and years of experience will only continue to grow our best-in-class approach to designing, developing and delivering training for success.”

Through Fletcher’s continued efforts, Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc., was named the 2011 Champion of Learning by the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the American Society for Training & Development. The designation is awarded to Georgia-based organizations in recognition of their commitment to workplace learning and understanding of its impact on organizational and employee performance.

During the past nine years, Fletcher redesigned training programs and created award-winning support materials, which resulted in the founding of Zaxby’s Chicken University, leading to more respect for training inside the company and accolades for the Zaxby’s brand within the corporate training industry. His implementation of the chain’s restaurant manager training program through Zaxby’s Learning Center improved the quality of training for managers in less time. Fletcher also implemented the Licensee Managed Training Program, enabling licensees to conduct training for their own employees, saving both time and money. His corporate training programs are developing new leaders and teams for the chain, improving performance in restaurants throughout the company’s operating area.

“Our brand is much stronger today thanks to Richard’s dedication and leadership,” said Baxley. “He has been integral in the development and execution of our past and current strategic plans. We are fortunate to have someone of Richard’s caliber on our team.”

Fletcher has more than 25 years of executive level experience in sales, operations, organizational development and training with national companies such as Wolf Camera and Sprint PCS. He is a member of the American Society of Training & Development (ASTD) and is president-elect for the Greater Atlanta chapter. He is an active member of the Council for Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) and regional director for CHART’s Atlanta Regional Training Forum.

About Zaxby’s

An alternative to fast food, Zaxby’s offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Jumbo Buffalo Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company ranked number seven in the 2012 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains With 500 Or More U.S. Units Quick-Track study published by Sandelman & Associates. The chain also ranked number five in the nation for total sales and number one in the chicken segment in the 2012 Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report published by Technomic. Zaxby’s operates more than 560 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. For more information, please visit zaxbys.com, facebook.com/zaxbys or follow on Twitter @Zaxbys.

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