Inspire Brands Inc. has named former Dunkin' Brands CFO Kate Jaspon as the Atlanta-based QSR company's CFO, following the retirement of David Pipes. Jaspon spenty more than 15 years at the recently acquired, Dunkin' Brands, in finance and treasury roles, a news release said.
Jaspon will transition into her new role this month and oversee all accounting and reporting, tax, financial planning and analysis, internal audit, as well as manage Inspire's relationships with lending institutions, investors and the financial community.
"Working with Kate while Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins were joining the Inspire family, it became clear that she was an amazing fit with Inspire," Inspire Brands CEO Paul Brown said in the release. "Her financial acumen, leadership, and strong relationships with the investment community solidified that she's ideal for this role."
Jaspon led Dunkin' through a number of transactions, including the Company's IPO in 2011 and follow-on equity offerings, securitization and numerous other debt transactions, the divestiture of the Togo's brand, and the sale to Inspire. Jaspon will be based in Atlanta.
David Pipes is retiring following a 40-year career, nearly half of that with Arby's and Inspire. He held key leadership positions in finance and accounting at Arby's franchisee, RTM, and then at Arby's and played an instrumental role in Arby's 2005 acquisition of RTM, as well as Arby's subsequent merger with Wendy's International in 2008, the news release said. That merger resulted in the formation of the Wendy's/Arby's Group. Pipes remained with Arby's when Roark purchased the brand in 2011 when he was also named CFO.
Pipes played a leading role in four multi-billion-dollar acquisitions over a span of just three years. He led the company's financial team through the Arby's acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings and the creation of Inspire in 2018 to the largest take private deal in restaurant history when Dunkin' and Baskin-Robbins joined the group late last year. Previously, he worked for Yum! Brands, Inc. and PepsiCo, and he began his career in public accounting at Coopers and Lybrand.
"David has been through thick and thin with this company and throughout has been one of the most capable, steadfast, driven people with deep knowledge and expertise in finance with whom I have worked," Brown said. "While I'm certainly sad to see him leave the company, I'm also pleased to know that he can look back on his career and legacy at Arby's and Inspire with an immense sense of pride for all that he has accomplished and the team he has built."
"I'm incredibly thankful for the experiences and opportunities I've had at Arby's and Inspire," Pipes said in the release. "This has been a career journey that far exceeded my early expectations. I've gotten to know some amazing people and helped foster their careers while along the way playing a critical role in the creation of a restaurant company unlike any other. I'll be watching Inspire's continued growth closely and know that the company is in strong hands with Kate."
Inspire Brands' portfolio includes nearly 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco, and Sonic Drive-In locations worldwide. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
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