Whataburger hired restaurant industry veteran Debbie Stroud to serve as its executive vice president and chief operating officer. Stroud’s restaurant industry career spans more than 30 years, including the past 5 with Starbucks where she served as sr. vice president, U.S. retail operations.

Prior to Starbucks, Stroud spent 27 years with McDonald’s, where she served in numerous financial roles and transitioned to operations in 2003, ultimately serving as vice president and general manager in the U.S. Southeast.

Stroud will join Whataburger on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.