Flynn Group has appointed Corina Black chief marketing officer of Wendy’s in the Asia Pacific region, following the US franchisee operator’s launch of the quick service restaurant’s first Australian store in January.

Black steps into the newly created role to drive the growth of the Wendy’s brand across the region. She has a strong background in sports and hospitality, having held senior marketing and commercial roles at the National Rugby League, 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 Black.

She joins Flynn Group alongside newly appointed managing director Richard Wallis, who has spent the last three decades in the quick service restaurant sector. He began his career working for Yum! Restaurant’s Pizza Hut, where he remained for 20 years, climbing to the role of 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 Asian region.

Most recently, Wallis served as Managing Director of KFC Asia Pacific, where he was responsible for overseeing 17,000 restaurants and managing over US$16 billion in revenue. 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 Wallis.

Flynn Group, founded in 1999 by Greg Flynn, manages operations for seven major brands and 2,900 restaurants across three countries. The company generates $5 billion (USD) in sales and employs over 75,000 people. Recently, Flynn Group marked its entry into the Australian market by opening Wendy’s Australia on the Gold Coast. The company also acquired Pizza Hut in Australia in 2023 and holds the master franchisee licence for Pizza Hut Australia, Wendy’s Australia, and Wendy’s New Zealand.

Chief Transformation Officer at Flynn Group, Lauren Leahy, said: “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.”