Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs announced Monday that he plans to retire in the first quarter of 2026.

Gibbs, 62, is a 36-year veteran of Yum Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company. It owns the Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill brands and has 61,000 restaurants in over 155 countries.

He became CEO in January 2020 and focused on new store development. In 2024, the company opened 4,535 stores in more than 100 countries. That compares to 2,040 store openings in 2019.

Gibbs also updated technology in stores. Yum recently signed an industry-first deal with computing company Nvidia, which will work with Yum on automated ordering at drive-thrus and computer-enhanced operation plans in restaurants. — Associated Press