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Mr. Pendergast is the Chief Franchise Officer and Executive Vice President of Church’s Chicken. As Chief Franchise Officer, Mr. Pendergast is responsible for the strategic direction, financial performance, and operational execution of Church’s domestic franchise system.
Mr. Pendergast was formerly the Vice President of Corporate Strategy for AFC Enterprises, Inc. In this role, he was responsible for AFC’s corporate strategy, business planning and M&A. Mr. Pendergast led the strategic overhaul of AFC, including the divestitures of Seattle Coffee Company, Cinnabon, and Church’s Chicken, along with an enterprise-wide restructuring effort.
Prior to joining AFC, Mr. Pendergast was an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company, where he addressed top-level strategic and operational problems for service-oriented and consumer-based companies. His experience includes creating a go-to-market strategy for a new beverage technology venture, creating an overall marketing strategy for a global service company, restructuring the operations of a $160M production facility, and developing a turnaround strategy for a $50M manufacturing business. Mr. Pendergast also served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for iXL, Inc., where he led a $75M business unit in delivering e-business solutions to Fortune 500 clients. Mr. Pendergast began his career at Procter & Gamble as a Senior Product Manager where he led the line extension program for the AleveTM brand.
Mr. Pendergast received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he graduated with highest honors and earned the National Merit and Presidential scholarships. He received a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, where he also graduated with honors.
Pendergast lives in Atlanta with his wife and twin daughters and serves on the board of directors of the Atlanta College of Art. | 