Maria Cacciapuoti named chief operations officer of KFC Global
She joined the brand in 2015 and has held leadership roles in markets around the world.
July 23, 2026
Maria Cacciapuoti has been appointed chief operations officer of KFC Global and is charged with driving operational excellence and modernizing the brand experience for customers and team members in partnership with franchisees across the brand’s more than 34,000 restaurants in more than 150 countries.
She will assume her role Sept. 1 and report to KFC Global Chief Executive Officer Scott Mezvinsky.
Cacciapuoti joined KFC in 2015 and has held leadership roles in KFC markets around the world, including Italy, Iberia, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and most recently North Asia. She brings deep expertise in operations, finance and franchising and general management, with more than 20 years of her career spent in the restaurant and retail industries.
Prior to joining KFC, she was the chief commercial and operations officer at Librerie Feltrinelli. She previously led financial planning, treasury, and tax at Autogrill. Earlier in her career, Cacciapuoti spent over 8 years at McDonald’s as the national franchising controller in the Italy market. She holds a degree in economics and finance from University Federico II of Naples, and an MBA in fiscal economics from SDA Bocconi.
Cacciapuoti joins the executive team of KFC Global a year after Mezvinsky took on his role as CEO and about a month after the company announced its “next chapter” of innovation, which includes new menu offerings, a refreshed brand identity, and modernized restaurants. The updated positioning will begin in the United Kingdom and Ireland before expanding across Australia and the U.S. throughout the rest of this year.
Mezvinsky said the next chapter “brings new energy and expression to what makes (KFC) iconic, while doubling down on our chicken and reimagining how fans experience KFC around the world.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
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About the Author
Alicia Kelso
Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News
Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com, and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America, and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.
Follow her on TikTok @aliciakelso
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