Thomas Brings 20-Plus Years of Executive Leadership Experience to the Role
Chicken Salad Chick, a fast-casual chicken salad restaurant franchise, has named Jill Thomas chief marketing officer. Thomas, a longtime Chicken Salad Chick fan and customer, oversees the brand’s national consumer marketing, digital and loyalty strategy, and menu innovation support. She has more than 20 years of experience leading brand, digital and growth strategies at companies including Edible Brands, Cinnabon, Bloomin’ Brands, Yum! Brands, Disney Parks & Resorts and Publix Super Markets.
Thomas said she has watched the brand’s growth from afar throughout her career. “I just felt a calling to it and knew that I could help continue to grow the brand and business,” she said. “After meeting CEO Scott Deviney and his executive leadership team, I knew it was a place for me. Scott is a special leader in that he is both a visionary and a servant leader. He is purpose-driven and has high integrity. He is focused on the right things – building the strongest long-term business we can, with the franchisee’s best interest always as the driver but with the brand purpose at the heart.”
Thomas looks forward to modernizing the brand’s marketing function – particularly the digital customer experience. “We have a loyalty program, but now we’re going to leverage customer data and insights to deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. It’s a simple idea, but often hard to execute. This brand has laid a solid foundation, so the opportunity to optimize our approach is enormous. Additionally, we see a significant product opportunity to expand occasions through innovation across new growth platforms.”
Deviney said Thomas’ extensive marketing background makes her the ideal person for this role. “Jill’s ability to connect data-driven strategy with meaningful guest experiences makes her an exceptional addition to our leadership team. As we continue to scale the brand, her background across restaurants, retail and e-commerce paired with her passion for building high-performing teams will help accelerate our growth and deepen engagement with both guests and franchise owners,” Deviney said.
Passion for Marketing
Thomas said her passion for marketing stems from her fascination with the intersection of creativity and human behavior. “Great marketing is both storytelling and business strategy. When done well, it drives growth, builds loyalty and creates real customer connection. That’s still what excites me the most – marketing can keep Chicken Salad Chick ahead of the curve by building a brand that people not only recognize, but one that they genuinely connect with, and using that connection to drive meaningful long-term value for our guests.”
In her free time, Thomas is an avid golfer who held various leadership positions at the PGA TOUR Superstore and served as governor of the Atlanta Drive Golf Club in the TGL League. She is also active in community and youth development initiatives, including board service with The First Tee Metro Atlanta, an organization that empowers children to build character through golf.
About Chicken Salad Chick
Founded by Stacy and Kevin Brown in Auburn, Ala., Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad, as well as sides, soups, sandwiches and desserts. Since its founding in 2008, the brand has grown to more than 330 restaurants in 22 states.
