Yum! Brands names global chief

Yum! Brands, owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, has appointed former Reebok chief marketing officer Micky Pant to the newly created role of global branding president.

Pant, who will retain his current position as chief marketing officer of Yum subsidiary Yum Restaurants International, will be responsible for establishing a single brand positioning and identity for KFC, Pizza Hut and all its brands globally.

Prior to Yum! Brands and Reebok, Pant worked in senior marketing roles for PepsiCo and spent 15 years with Unilever in the UK and India.

Pant joins as KFC plans a major expansion in the UK by opening about 200 new stores and creating 9,000 jobs by 2015.

The move came as KFC announced a 14% rise in sales for last year as cash-strapped consumers turned to its value-for-money proposition.

Both KFC and Pizza Hut came under fire from The Food Commission last October. The body called on the pair to follow the US lead of providing calorie information on their menu boards.