Inspire Brands announced today that Kelly McCulloch has joined the company as Chief People Officer.

Kelly brings more than two decades of human resources leadership experience across some of the world’s largest and most complex organizations. Prior to Inspire, Kelly served as Senior Vice President of People for Walmart U.S., where she led the End-to-End People team powering more than 1.3 million Walmart associates. She previously served as Global Chief People Officer for Taco Bell, where she led the company’s people strategy for team members worldwide.

“At Inspire, our team members are the foundation of everything we do—from delivering exceptional guest experiences to driving innovation across our brands,” said Paul Brown, Inspire Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. “We are committed to the success of our nearly 650,000 company and franchise team members, and Kelly’s leadership will be critical in continuing to elevate the support, development, and resources we provide our dynamic, global workforce.”

Kelly will lead Inspire’s global People function, overseeing talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, total rewards, and culture initiatives across the company’s diverse brand portfolio. She will work closely with the teams to ensure People strategies are aligned with business goals while meeting the unique needs of team members at every level of the organization.

“Kelly brings deep experience in fostering strong, enterprise-wide cultures that empower team members from the support center to the front line,” said Scott Catlett, Inspire Chief Legal and Administrative Officer. “I look forward to working alongside her to further strengthen our People function to deliver results for our team members and stakeholders.”

“Inspire has built a truly differentiated restaurant company that is taking a transformative view of the industry, and our team members are at the heart of that journey,” said Kelly. “I’m inspired by the company’s genuine commitment to putting people first—from creating pathways for career advancement to fostering inclusive environments where everyone can thrive. I look forward to advancing a people-first strategy that champions team member growth, recognizes their contributions, and ensures they have the tools and support needed to succeed alongside Inspire’s future success.”