Today, Inspire Brands announced Darin Dugan has been promoted to Jimmy John’s Brand President. Over the past six years, serving as Jimmy John’s Chief Marketing Officer Darin has demonstrated a rare combination of creative vision, operational expertise, and strategic insight.

“Darin has brought creativity and discipline together by modernizing campaigns, elevating the menu, and launching new, brand-defining product platforms, including wraps and toasted sandwiches. He’s a passionate leader with a deep understanding of what makes this brand so special, and I’m excited to work with him to continue accelerating Jimmy John’s growth around the world,” said Scott Murphy, Inspire Chief Brand Officer and Dunkin’ Brand President.

Dugan joined Inspire through the acquisition of SONIC in late 2018, where he served as Vice President of National Marketing for more than three years. Prior to that, he led marketing and culinary at Applebee’s after spending more than 13 years in leadership roles at Kraft Foods Group.

“It’s an honor to step into this role with a brand that means so much to me,” said Dugan. “The commitment and energy of our team members and franchisees are remarkable, and I’m excited to continue building on the strength of this iconic brand together.”

Dugan is the third person to lead Jimmy John’s since its founding in 1983.

After leading the brand for 25 years, James North has been appointed Jimmy John’s Global Brand Ambassador. North has an unmatched passion for Jimmy John’s that will now be leveraged to help promote and grow the brand both domestically and internationally. He has played a leading role in growing Jimmy John’s to more than 2,800 global locations. Inspire is also excited to welcome North as a new Jimmy John’s franchisee.

“James has helped shape Jimmy John’s into the cultural icon it is today. There’s no one better positioned to represent what truly makes this brand special. He has had a tremendous impact on Jimmy John’s and its culture, and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration,” said Murphy.

Kate Carpenter has been promoted to Jimmy John’s Chief Marketing Officer. Carpenter has been an integral part of the Jimmy John’s team for more than two years, serving as Vice President of Integrated Marketing for the brand. Prior to joining Inspire, Carpenter spent two years as a Brand Lead at Newell Brands after serving as Senior Director of Brand for Papa John’s International. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at Coca-Cola, leading roles for several of the corporation’s high-profile brands.

“Kate’s creative approach continues to be an accelerant for the brand. She has been instrumental in strengthening brand strategy while keeping the guest at the center of every decision, and I am excited for her to bring her talents to her new role leading marketing and culinary for Jimmy John’s,” said Dugan.

Under the leadership of this team, Jimmy John’s launched its wildly successful toasted sandwich platform last year which continues to grow and expand. This is also the team responsible for Jimmy John’s famous Picklewich, which delighted fans.

“Jimmy John’s is a tremendously exciting brand that will continue to rapidly grow and deliver for guests in creative and innovative ways under this leadership team. These moves continue to demonstrate our deep bench of talent at Inspire that continues to promote career development across our brands,” said Paul Brown, Inspire Co-Founder & CEO.