Inspire Brands today announced a series of strategic leadership appointments designed to continue accelerating growth across its portfolio of iconic brands. These moves underscore Inspire’s commitment to developing and promoting exceptional talent from within the organization, while continuing to attract best-in-class leaders from outside the company.

“At Inspire we have an unwavering commitment to invest in talent and resources to continue accelerating our momentum. By placing proven leaders in key roles, we are fortifying our foundation for success, ensuring we remain well-positioned to deliver exceptional experiences for our team members, franchisees, and guests,” said Paul Brown, Inspire Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

John Dawson has joined Inspire as President of U.S. Development, bringing more than 35 years of leadership experience in multi-unit retail, including development roles at McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Brands. Dawson will oversee domestic development, including new restaurant openings, market planning, architecture and design, franchise sales, real estate, and construction—further strengthening Inspire’s ability to scale efficiently. In this new role, Dawson will oversee domestic development, including new restaurant openings, market development planning, architecture and design, franchise sales, real estate, and construction.

Tristan Meline has been promoted to Brand President of Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars, following his successful tenure as Chief Marketing Officer. Meline has been with Inspire and Buffalo Wild Wings for more than four years, delivering strong results and driving creative strategies that have made a lasting impact on the brand. In his new role, he will oversee the Buffalo Wild Wings master brand, brand marketing and advertising, and all aspects of the sports bar business. The role was formerly held by John Bowie, who retired after 12 years with Inspire and its brands.

Leandro Gasparin has been appointed President of Buffalo Wild Wings GO which celebrated its 200th opening this year. This is a newly created role designed to support the significant growth planned for BWW GO. Gasparin brings extensive global leadership experience and deep operational expertise from previous roles including Global COO of Oakberry, as well as leadership roles with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Burger King.

Inspire is also pleased to announce that John Kelly has been appointed Brand President of SONIC. With nearly 25 years of leadership experience at Inspire and Arby’s, Kelly has consistently delivered strong results while leaving a lasting impact across the organization. Over more than 30 years in the restaurant industry, he has developed exceptional operational expertise and strategic insight, making him well-positioned to guide SONIC through the next phase of its growth.

Jon Gill has been promoted to President of Inspire Company Restaurants, overseeing operations across the company’s restaurant portfolio. Gill brings 20 years of leadership experience at Inspire and Arby’s, positioning him to drive continued success across Inspire’s company-owned locations, most recently as SVP of Arby’s Company Restaurants.

John Dawson and John Kelly will report directly to Scott Murphy, Chief Brand Officer. Tristan Meline, Leandro Gasparin and Jon Gill will report directly to Dan Lynn, Chief Commercial and Restaurant Officer.

Other key leaders who have recently joined the Inspire leadership team include:

Scott Catlett as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer. Scott most recently served as Chief Legal & Franchise Officer & Corporate Secretary for Yum! Brands, where he spent nearly 20 years. Scott was integral in the company’s M&A initiatives, as well as the spinoff of Yum! China Holdings, Inc. and other portfolio optimization efforts. This role was previously held by Nils Okeson who retired after 20 years with Inspire and Arby’s.

Kelly McCulloch as Chief People Officer joined Inspire from Walmart, where she led enterprise-wide people initiatives as Senior Vice President of People, leading a team of more than 800 HR professional and serving over 1.3 million associates. Prior to Walmart Kelly spent nearly 15 years leading people initiatives and transformation across Yum! Brands, including as the Global Chief People and Transformation Officer for Taco Bell and Chief People Officer of Pizza Hut US.