Corina Black Named Inaugural Wendy's APAC CMO

Corina Black has been appointed chief marketing officer of Wendy's in the Asia Pacific region.

Previously general manager of marketing and ticketing at the National Rugby League, Corina steps into the role following the US franchisee operator's launch of its flagship Australian Wendy’s store in January. She will be based in Sydney.

In Australia and New Zealand, the master franchise licence for Wendy’s is held by Flynn Group, which also holds the license for Pizza Hut in Australia.

Indie agency Today The Brave and WPP's VML -- which also works with the brand globally -- are working with Wendy’s in this market, alongside global strategic communications agency Burson.

In the newly-created role, Corina is tasked with driving the growth of the Wendy's brand across the region. As well as her time at the NRL, her resume includes senior marketing and commercial roles at the Australian Turf Club, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

"As the chief marketing officer, I have the privilege of leading the charge to bring this iconic brand to the Australian market. We're here to deliver something different; a brand with personality, a menu with quality, and an experience that customers will want to share," said Corina.

She joins Flynn Group alongside newly appointed managing director Richard Wallis, who has spent the last three decades in the quick service restaurant sector.

Richard spent the first 20 years of his career working for Yum! Restaurant's Pizza Hut, working up to president of Pizza Hut Canada in 2013. After Pizza Hut, Wallis went to sister franchise KFC, where he has spent the last decade in various leadership roles spanning the Asia region.

Most recently, Richard served as managing director of KFC Asia Pacific, where he was responsible for overseeing 17,000 restaurants and managing over USD$16 billion in revenue.

Richard will also be based in Sydney. His appointment follows the exit of Phil Reed, who led Flynn Group to achieve 23 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth.

"As the largest franchisee in the world, Flynn Group out-performs in every brand it operates, all thanks to the team's customer-first approach and passion for high quality fresh food - we couldn't be more aligned in that philosophy. I'm thrilled to take on this new chapter of growth," said Richard.

Chief transformation officer at Flynn Group, Lauren Leahy, added, "Richard brings an impressive balance of focused execution and visionary leadership. Alongside Corina and the dedicated team already in place, he is the perfect fit to lead Flynn Group's strategic growth agenda in APAC."