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Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Leadership History

Restaurant Brands: CEO History

4 leaders · 2013 to present

Who is the CEO of Restaurant Brands?

Joshua (Josh) Kobza is the CEO of Restaurant Brands, in the role since 2023. The first chief executive was Daniel Schwartz, from 2013.

Current CEO
Joshua (Josh) Kobza (since 2023)
First CEO
Daniel Schwartz (2013)
Leaders documented
5
Founded
2014
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Joshua KobzaChief Executive Officer2023Present3
Patrick DoyleExecutive Chairman2022Present4
Jose CilFormer Chief Executive Officer201920234
Daniel SchwartzFormer Chief Executive Officer201320196
Who was CEO of Restaurant Brands before Joshua Kobza?
Jose Cil was CEO of Restaurant Brands from 2019 to 2023, before Joshua Kobza took over in 2023.

Company Overview

Restaurant Brands International is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies, with more than $45 billion in annual system-wide sales. It is a holding company for Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, and it operates mostly as a franchisor rather than a restaurant operator. Its corporate headquarters is in Toronto, while much of the leadership team works from Miami. 3G Capital, which assembled the company, remains a significant shareholder. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Restaurant Brands International was formed in 2014 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, through the landmark $12.5 billion merger of Burger King and Tim Hortons engineered by 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway, creating one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant empires.

Joshua Kobza

Chief Executive Officer

2023 – Present

3 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Kobza joined RBI in 2012 and spent 11 years in finance and operating roles -- including CFO and chief technology and development officer -- working directly on the Popeyes (2017) and Firehouse Subs (2021) acquisitions before becoming CEO on March 1, 2023, reporting to new Executive Chairman Patrick Doyle.

Legacy

Leads RBI's multi-brand strategy, including the Burger King U.S. turnaround, the 2024 Carrols acquisition and refranchising plan, the 2025 Burger King China joint venture with CPE, and the 2028 growth targets reaffirmed at Investor Day 2026.

Patrick Doyle

Executive Chairman

2022 – Present

4 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Joined RBI as Executive Chairman in November 2022 after leading Domino's, and made a personal investment in RBI shares alongside a performance-based equity award.

Legacy

Focuses on franchisee economics, Burger King U.S. execution and capital allocation alongside CEO Josh Kobza.

Jose Cil

Former Chief Executive Officer

2019 – 2023

4 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Cil led RBI as CEO from 2019 to 2023, overseeing the company through the pandemic-era restaurant disruption and the early stages of the Burger King reinvestment plan.

Legacy

Led RBI through the COVID-19 period, the 2019 Popeyes chicken sandwich launch, the 2021 Firehouse Subs acquisition and the start of Reclaim the Flame.

Daniel Schwartz

Former Chief Executive Officer

2013 – 2019

6 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Schwartz, who came up through 3G Capital's Burger King ownership era, served as RBI's first CEO from the company's 2014 formation through 2019, establishing the multi-brand franchise-royalty operating model still used across Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes today.

Legacy

A 3G Capital partner who led Burger King and then RBI through the Tim Hortons combination and the 2017 Popeyes acquisition, later serving as co-chairman.

Other senior executives

These officers report to the chief executive and are not part of the CEO timeline above.

  • Sami Siddiqui, Chief Financial Officer (2025 – present)Previously served as President of Popeyes U.S. and Canada before becoming CFO.Source →

Challenges & Strategic Context

RBI must manage franchisee profitability, remodel funding, wage and commodity inflation, brand relevance, digital competition, international execution, and the higher operating complexity created by Carrols.

Restaurant Brands CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who have been the key CEOs of Restaurant Brands International since its formation?

RBI has had three CEOs: Daniel Schwartz (2014-2019), Jose Cil (2019-2023) and Josh Kobza (since March 2023). Patrick Doyle has been Executive Chairman since November 2022.

What were Daniel Schwartz's major achievements as RBI's founding CEO?

Daniel Schwartz led RBI from its 2014 formation through 2019, overseeing the Tim Hortons integration, 3G-style cost discipline and the 2017 Popeyes acquisition.

What leadership initiatives defined Jose Cil's tenure as CEO of RBI?

Jose Cil served as CEO from January 2019 to February 2023, steering RBI through the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the viral launch of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, orchestrating the $1.0 billion acquisition of Firehouse Subs in 2021, and initiating the 'Reclaim the Flame' US Burger King revitalization strategy.

What is Josh Kobza's background and strategic vision as CEO of RBI?

Josh Kobza joined RBI in 2012 and served as CFO and later COO before becoming CEO in March 2023. His priorities are franchisee profitability, Burger King U.S. recovery, digital and international growth.

What role does Executive Chairman Patrick Doyle play in RBI's corporate governance?

Patrick Doyle joined RBI in November 2022 as Executive Chairman under a significant equity-aligned incentive package. Drawing on his experience revitalizing Domino's Pizza, Doyle actively directs capital allocation, brand turnarounds, technology investments, and franchisee relationship rebuilding.

How did RBI's leadership handle the acquisition and integration of Carrols Restaurant Group?

RBI acquired Carrols in May 2024 for about $1.0 billion and plans to remodel most of its roughly 1,000 Burger King restaurants before refranchising them to local operators.

Who are the key brand-level presidents leading RBI's individual chains?

Key brand leaders include Tom Curtis (President, Burger King U.S. and Canada) and Axel Schwan (President, Tim Hortons Canada and U.S.), with Sami Siddiqui serving as CFO.

How has executive compensation at RBI been aligned with long-term shareholder value?

RBI's executive compensation structure emphasizes long-term equity performance shares, restricted share units (RSUs), and co-investment requirements tied directly to multi-year compound annual growth in organic adjusted EBITDA, system-wide sales expansion, and total shareholder return (TSR).

Who is the current CEO of Restaurant Brands International?

Joshua Kobza is the Chief Executive Officer of Restaurant Brands International, having assumed the role in March 2023.

What was Josh Kobza’s background before becoming CEO of RBI?

Josh Kobza joined Burger King in 2012, serving in key executive roles over a decade including Chief Financial Officer (2013–2018), Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer, playing a central role in acquiring Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs.

What is Patrick Doyle’s executive role at RBI?

Patrick Doyle serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, having joined in November 2022 to guide overall strategy, capital allocation, and franchisee profitability, tied to an aggressive 5-year incentive structure.

Who was Daniel Schwartz and what did he accomplish as CEO?

Daniel Schwartz served as CEO of Burger King and subsequently RBI from 2013 to 2019, leading the company from age 32, executing the zero-based budgeting revolution, orchestrating the Tim Hortons and Popeyes mergers, and creating massive shareholder returns.

Who was Bernardo Hees during his tenure at Burger King?

Bernardo Hees (3G Capital partner) served as CEO of Burger King from 2010 to 2013 following the buyout, eliminating corporate waste, refranchising company-owned restaurants, and laying the groundwork for the 2014 creation of RBI before becoming CEO of Kraft Heinz.

Who was Jose Cil during his leadership of RBI?

Jose Cil was CEO from 2019 to 2023, steering RBI through the COVID-19 pandemic, launching digital loyalty programs, and completing the $1.0B Firehouse Subs acquisition.

Where is Restaurant Brands International headquartered?

RBI maintains dual corporate headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Miami, Florida, United States, reflecting the heritage of Tim Hortons and Burger King.

What core culture values define RBI executive leadership today?

RBI’s culture balances 3G Capital’s rigorous cost discipline with Patrick Doyle’s franchisee-centric partnership model: ownership mentality, meritocracy, radical operational simplicity, and long-term brand equity.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.