Zaxby's has hired Vanessa Fox, formerly senior vice president and CDO at Jack in the Box, as chief development officer. She will report directly to co-founders Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley.

"Our brand is experiencing its best unit-level performance in many years, and we know Vanessa will build on that," CEO McLeroy said in the release. "She has a clear passion for building trust and credibility in the licensee community, which is something that we have always highly valued."

At Jack in the Box, Fox worked with business stakeholders to build, maintain and execute the company's real estate strategy. Prior to that, she worked with Jack in the Box and Qdoba on restaurant development including construction, architecture and design as well as facility management. In her role at Zaxby's, she'll manage the franchise licensing and development teams and foster continuity with design and construction. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA in addition to her culinary certificate from the San Diego Culinary Institute.

"I seek to build highly functioning and diversified teams to tackle projects and can't wait to get to know Zaxby's team members and learn about their goals, skills and aspirations," Fox said in the release.

With a strong group of legacy licensees, multi-unit owners who have been with the brand since its inception, Zaxby's is positioned for expansion and believes Fox's expertise will help the brand continue developing in current markets and position it in new ones.

"Vanessa will be an asset to our team as she capitalizes on market growth opportunities and operational improvements," said Townley, Zaxby's chief strategy officer and co-founder. "We look forward to working with her to help manage the complexities of our comprehensive remodel program."

Zaxby's recently hired Keith Anderkin as vice president of supply chain and quality assurance and Alan Ludloff as vice president of brand marketing. These new executives will collaborate closely with Fox to position Zaxby's for unprecedented growth.

Founded in 1990, Zaxby's has more than 900 locations in 17 states and is headquartered in Athens, Georgia.

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