LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) announced that Christopher M. Connor was elected to its Board of Directors at the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders today.

“Chris’ executive leadership and global retail experience make him a strong addition to the Yum! Brands Board,” said Robert Walter, Non-Executive Chairman of Yum! Brands. “We are thrilled to have Chris join us during this exciting time for Yum! Brands, as we continue to evolve as the restaurant industry’s leading global franchisor.”

Greg Creed, Chief Executive Officer of Yum! Brands said, “Chris is a talented and seasoned retail veteran who led Sherwin-Williams for many years. We look forward to the experience and insights he will bring as we execute our multi-year strategy to become a more focused, more franchised and more efficient company with a uniquely powerful and predictable free cash flow growth profile.”

Mr. Connor, 61, served as Executive Chairman of The Sherwin-Williams Company, a global manufacturer of paint, architectural coatings, industrial finishes and associated supplies, until 2016. Mr. Connor held a number of executive positions at Sherwin-Williams beginning in 1983. He served as Chief Executive Officer from 1999 to 2015, Chairman from 2000 to 2015, and served as Executive Chairman during 2016. Mr. Connor is Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and serves on the board of Eaton Corporation plc.

2016 was a landmark year for Yum! Brands as it successfully completed the separation of Yum China as an independent and powerful growth company. In addition, Yum! Brands launched a new multi-year strategic transformation plan to become a more focused, more franchised and more efficient company in order to strengthen and grow its KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands around the world.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 43,500 restaurants in more than 135 countries and territories and is one of the Aon Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders in North America. In 2017, Yum! Brands was named among the top 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. The company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Worldwide, the Yum! Brands system opens over six new restaurants per day on average, making it a leader in international retail development.

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