Brinker International Promotes George Felix to EVP, Chief Marketing Officer
Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) promoted George Felix to Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, effective March 2, 2026.
Rhea-AI Summary
Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) promoted George Felix to Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, effective March 2, 2026. Felix will oversee marketing for both Chili's and Maggiano's, applying a unified strategy to clarify Maggiano's positioning and improve execution.
Felix joined Brinker in 2022 and is credited with helping return Chili's to category leadership; Brinker market capitalization increased from $1.3B at his start to $6.25B as of March 2, 2026. He will continue reporting to CEO Kevin Hochman.
Positive
- Market capitalization rose from $1.3B to $6.25B
- Promotion creates unified marketing leadership for two brands
- Proven track record: credited with Chili's sales and traffic gains
- Senior industry recognition: Fast Company and Ad Age CMO awards
Negative
- None.
Details
News Market Reaction – EAT
On Mar 3, the first trading day after this news, EAT closed 1.02% below the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 3 session.
Key Figures
- Market cap start
- $1.3B
- Brinker market capitalization at start of Felix’s tenure in 2022
- Market cap current
- $6.25B
- Brinker market capitalization as of <b>Mar 2, 2026</b>
- Tenure start year
- 2022
- Year George Felix joined as SVP and CMO of Chili’s
- EVP CMO promotion date
- Mar 2, 2026
- Date Felix was promoted to EVP, Chief Marketing Officer
- Awards year
- 2025
- Named Fast Company and Ad Age CMO of the Year in 2025
- Award year
- 2024
- Received ADWEEK Marketing Vanguard award in 2024
- Current share price
- $142.41
- Price before this news, <b>2.26%</b> below prior close
- 52-week range
- $100.30–$187.123
- Current price is <b>41.98%</b> above low and <b>23.89%</b> below high
Historical Context
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Extended Chili’s multi-year motorsports sponsorship and highlighted margarita sales strength.
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Launched free Margarita of the Month Club building on strong 2025 margarita volumes.
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Reported strong Q2 FY26 results and raised full-year revenue and EPS guidance.
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Announced timing and access details for upcoming Q2 FY26 earnings call.
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Extended and expanded Chili’s motorsports sponsorship through 2026 and beyond.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Felix to apply category-leading discipline and marketing vision to both Chili's and Maggiano's
Felix joined Brinker in 2022 as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Chili's, with a successful track record of making legacy brands exciting again. His vision, strategy and leadership brought creative and authentic marketing to Chili's that helped return the brand to category leadership in both sales and traffic growth – resulting in Brinker International's market capitalization increasing from
In his expanded role, Felix will continue to lead marketing at Chili's and will now bring that same strategic vision to Maggiano's. As part of the "Back to Maggiano's" strategy, he will focus on clarifying the brand's positioning and improving execution to drive stronger performance. Felix will help Maggiano's to deliver Italian-American favorites abundantly served with warm and attentive service that makes our guests feel like family.
"George has proven that when you deeply understand your guests and stay relentlessly focused on what makes a brand special, extraordinary results follow. His leadership has shaped the entire guest experience and delivered sustainable results by making Chili's more relevant than ever," said Brinker CEO and President Kevin Hochman. "Elevating him to lead marketing for both brands reflects our confidence in his ability to apply a proven playbook to Maggiano's and accelerate performance."
Felix has received accolades across the industry, including being named one of Fast Company's 2025 CMOs of the Year, Ad Age 2025 CMO of the Year, ADWEEK 2024 Marketing Vanguard award winner, among others.
Felix will continue reporting to Brinker CEO and President Kevin Hochman.
About Brinker International, Inc.: (NYSE: EAT) is one of the world's leading casual dining restaurant companies and proud home to two beloved brands: Chili's® Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy®. Brinker has grown to own, operate or franchise more than 1,600 restaurants across 31 countries and two
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SOURCE Brinker International Payroll Company, L.P.
FAQ
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