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Wingstop Inc.

Quick-service restaurantsFounded 1994
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Leadership History

Wingstop: CEO History

2 leaders · 2012 to present

Who is the CEO of Wingstop?

Michael Skipworth is the CEO of Wingstop, in the role since 2022. The first chief executive was Charlie Morrison, from 2012.

Current CEO
Michael Skipworth (since 2022)
First CEO
Charlie Morrison (2012)
Leaders documented
3
Founded
1994
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Michael SkipworthPresident and Chief Executive Officer2022Present4
Charlie MorrisonChairman and CEO2012202210
Who was CEO of Wingstop before Michael Skipworth?
Charlie Morrison was CEO of Wingstop from 2012 to 2022, before Michael Skipworth took over in 2022.

Company Overview

Wingstop is a Texas-based restaurant franchisor listed on Nasdaq under WING. It reported $696.9 million of revenue in fiscal 2025 and had 3,255 restaurants at the end of Q2 2026, including 527 international franchised units. Michael Skipworth is President and CEO and Alex Kaleida is CFO. The company is headquartered in Addison, Texas.

Wingstop earns most of its money from franchisees rather than from selling food itself. It reports three revenue lines: royalty revenue, franchise fees and other; advertising fees paid into the national advertising fund (5.5% of sales since fiscal 2025); and sales at a small group of company-owned restaurants (57 at the end of Q2 2026). The menu is narrow, centred on wings, tenders, chicken sandwiches and fries, which keeps kitchens small and training simple for operators.

Michael Skipworth

President and Chief Executive Officer

2022 – Present

4 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Skipworth successfully navigated the post-pandemic normalization of dining habits, drove international expansion, and integrated advanced digital ordering platforms and proprietary kitchen technologies.

Legacy

Under his tenure, digital sales grew to represent a massive majority of system-wide revenue, though the company has more recently faced industry-wide headwinds in same-store sales.

Source →

Charlie Morrison

Chairman and CEO

2012 – 2022

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Morrison oversaw the company's 2015 initial public offering, launched the national advertising fund, and initiated the aggressive pivot toward digital ordering and delivery.

Legacy

He transformed Wingstop from a regional chain into a global franchise with thousands of locations, overseeing a massive increase in system-wide sales and brand recognition before departing in 2022.

Source →

Other senior executives

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

  • Alex Kaleida, Chief Financial Officer (2021 – present)Kaleida optimized Wingstop's capital structure and managed supply chain volatility, particularly around the highly cyclical pricing of bone-in chicken wings.Source →

Challenges & Strategic Context

Domestic same store sales declined 3.3% in fiscal 2025 and 7.5% in Q2 2026, and management guided to a 4% to 6% decline for fiscal 2026. Average unit volumes fell to $1.89 million in Q2 2026 from $2.11 million a year earlier. Franchisee returns also depend on bone-in wing prices, which can swing sharply.

Wingstop CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is the current CEO of Wingstop Inc.?

Michael Skipworth is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Wingstop, leading the company since March 2022.

What was Michael Skipworth's track record at Wingstop before becoming CEO?

Skipworth joined Wingstop in 2014, serving as Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer (guiding the 2015 IPO), and President & Chief Operating Officer, establishing deep operational and investor trust.

What was Charlie Morrison's impact as CEO from 2012 to 2022?

Charlie Morrison led Wingstop for a decade, taking it public in 2015, growing store count from 500 to over 1,700 locations, driving digital ordering transformation, and establishing 20 straight years of positive comps.

Why did Charlie Morrison leave Wingstop in 2022?

Morrison stepped down in March 2022 to become CEO of Salad and Go, an emerging drive-thru healthy food chain, smoothly handing leadership to longtime partner Skipworth.

Who serves as Chief Financial Officer under Michael Skipworth?

Alex Kaleida serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, having previously served as Senior Vice President of Finance and leading financial planning through Wingstop's explosive growth.

What major strategic initiatives has Michael Skipworth championed as CEO?

Skipworth orchestrated the smash-hit nationwide chicken sandwich launch, accelerated global brand expansion, advanced proprietary digital tech stacks, and navigated poultry deflation to post record earnings.

Where is Wingstop's global corporate headquarters located?

Wingstop is headquartered in Addison, Texas, within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, housing its corporate test kitchens, franchisee training academy, and executive offices.

What is Michael Skipworth's long-term vision for Wingstop?

Skipworth's stated vision is to scale Wingstop into a top-10 global restaurant brand, achieving 100% digital transactions and expanding past 7,000 international locations.

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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.