KFC has named Amy Ellis Durini as its first-ever global chief brand officer, effective November 1. The appointment was announced in a company press release. Durini has spent many years working at Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, and will now oversee global brand strategy, including areas like brand development, customer loyalty programs, retail initiatives, and the creation of new restaurant concepts. This move is part of KFC's broader strategy to modernize its brand and strengthen its position against other fast-food chicken chains in the U.S., such as Raising Cane's and Chick-fil-A. While KFC is a global powerhouse with 34,000 locations worldwide, its U.S. operations have been working to regain market share and customer interest. In June, KFC launched a major rebranding initiative aimed at drawing customers back to its restaurants. This included the introduction of new menu items, a redesigned logo, and updates to store layouts. The new logo features Colonel Sanders, KFC’s iconic mascot, positioned between the letters "KFC" in the shape of a chicken bucket. The company described the update as an effort to make its branding "more relevant, expressive, and in tune with modern culture," while still keeping the well-known "Finger Lickin' Good" slogan at its core. The rebranding also introduced a range of new menu options, including more boneless chicken, over 20 new dipping sauce flavors such as "Chimichurri Ranch" and "Hot Honey Habanero," and a variety of new beverages. KFC is also expanding its drink offerings through a new sub-brand called Kwench by KFC. This line includes items like "Boba Refreshers," sparkling lemonades, and iced coffees. These drinks are already available in some locations in the U.K. and Ireland and are set to become permanent menu items in Australia and Canada later this year. However, it remains unclear when they will be introduced in the U.S. The company is clearly trying to keep up with the growing trend of fast-food chains offering more diverse beverage options to meet customer demand. Valier Kubizniak has served as KFC's global chief marketing officer since 2022 and has been instrumental in guiding the company through this recent transformation. In addition to KFC’s rebranding, Yum Brands recently completed the sale of Pizza Hut to a private equity firm for $2.7 billion. This sale marked the end of a difficult period for Pizza Hut, which had struggled with declining sales and competition from other fast-food chains.