Founder Profile
David C. Novak
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is David C. Novak?
David C. Novak is a founder of Yum! Brands, Inc., which was founded in 1997 with Andrall E. Pearson.
- Company founded
- Yum! Brands, Inc.
- Founded
- 1997
- Co-founders
- Andrall E. Pearson
Background
Marketing executive who rose through the ranks at PepsiCo and served as President of KFC and Pizza Hut.
Founding Story
David C. Novak (born 1952) was the co-founder and long-time CEO of Yum! Brands. He is credited with fostering a highly distinct corporate culture focused on employee recognition and aggressive international expansion. Under his leadership, Yum! rapidly penetrated the Chinese market, making KFC the most dominant Western fast-food chain in China.
David C. Novak was born in 1953 in Beeville. Education: University of Missouri.
David Charles Novak was born on October 30, 1952. He is also an author and philanthropist and founded David Novak Leadership, where he is chief executive.