Domestic expansion will be top priority.

Smashburger, part of the restaurant industry's better burger segment, named Brett Willis senior vice president of franchise sales. In his new role, Willis will lead franchise recruitment initiatives for the company, with a particular focus on developing and executing strategies for non-traditional, domestic and international unit growth.

Willis' priorities at the outset will be the continued focus on domestic expansion markets such as Chicago, Miami, Washington D.C., and Boston, as well as continued expansion internationally in Canada.

Willis comes to Smashburger from Johnny Rockets, where his franchise development efforts centered primarily on non-traditional locations. He also led franchise development for Arby's Restaurant Group. Prior to Arby's, Willis worked for Sonic Drive-In as a franchise sales manager and financial analyst.