Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc. CEO Rich Stockinger has stepped down from the parent company of Pollo Tropical. CFO Dirk Montgomery will serve as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent chief executive.

"We thank Rich for his nearly six years of service with Fiesta," Chairwoman Stacey Rauch said in a company press release. "He built a superb senior team and skillfully led the company through an era of difficult challenges. We wish him the best."

Richard Stockinger said it was a privilege to work with a dedicated team of executives and restaurant operations leaders.

"I will treasure the friendships I established, and deeply appreciate the support provided by the Board of Directors," Stockinger said in the release. "I wish the Fiesta team the best of luck."

Montgomery, who joined Fiesta in 2019, has served as CFO and head of supply chain at Hooters International, a billion-dollar chain of 425 restaurants in 25 countries, and at Bloomin' Brands, which operates Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. He also previously served as a retail and consumer products executive at companies such as L Brands and Sara Lee Corp., where he served as both a functional and business unit leader.

"Dirk has the experience, knowledge and capabilities to step into the role without missing a beat," Rauch said. "He understands our culture, our industry, the challenges we face, and the opportunities that await us. The board is confident his leadership will further enable the company to accelerate growth."

Fiesta appointed its controller, Tyler Yoesting, to serve as chief accounting officer and acting CFO, effective immediately. Before joining the company in 2019, Yoesting spent over a decade in the audit practice of KPMG, a professional services and accounting firm.

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