News Briefs

Instant Financial, a pioneer of responsible earned wage access (EWA), electronic tips, and paycard solutions, has announced the release of its new Instant mobile app and enhanced mobile wallet functionality, providing employees with a faster, more secure app experience that gives them a greater degree of flexibility in how they receive their pay.

Understanding that over 50% of Americans would likely avoid major financial pitfalls if they could instantly access a portion of their pay after every day’s work, the new Instant mobile app is narrowing this financial gap by placing financial empowerment directly into the hands of employees.

The beta version of Instant’s app debuted in October at the 2023 HR Tech Conference & Expo, where event attendees were provided a sneak preview of the app’s new capabilities and functionality.

Designed with accessibility and financial freedom in mind, the new Instant mobile app is released with a list of innovative new features and functionality including:

• Faster Access to Earned Wages: Employees have access to their hard-earned wages in fewer steps, with an improved user interface (UI) and key elements surfaced more prominently within the app.
• Modern Security Features: State-of-the-art security protocols, such as facial and fingerprint biometrics, multi-factor authentication, and encryption technologies protect user information and provide peace of mind.
• Flexible Payment Options: Users have the freedom to choose how and when they access their wages. Whether it’s through direct deposit, the Instant card, or a mobile wallet, the new app offers a greater degree of flexibility for all employees, ensuring convenience for all.
• Clear and Informative Design: With improvements to the user interface (UI), the app offers a user-friendly experience, empowering users to make informed choices and navigate the app confidently.
• New Technology Framework: Underpinned by a new technology infrastructure, the new Instant mobile app is faster, more responsive, and built to allow for additional features and functionality to meet the needs of employees and how they are paid.

“Employee demands regarding how they access their wages are constantly shifting, and our new app is meeting that head-on,” said Tal Clark, CEO of Instant Financial. “Whether it’s to cover unexpected expenses, avoid predatory loans, or simply to enjoy more control over their finances, Instant is continually revolutionizing the way people get paid.”

By releasing this enhanced version of its mobile app experience, Instant is furthering its mission of delivering pay to employees, when they want, where they want, and how they want, all free of fees.

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

Pending court approval, a former P.F. Chang's executive will lead Red Lobster.  

Fortress Investment Group today announces the appointment of Damola Adamolekun as CEO of RL Investor Holdings LLC., a new entity that is seeking bankruptcy court approval to acquire from Red Lobster Management LLC and its direct and indirect operating subsidiaries. 

RL Investor Holdings LLC has been created by funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC, alongside co-investors TCW Private Credit and Blue Torch.

Upon court approval of the Red Lobster Chapter 11 plan, Adamolekun will become CEO of the reorganized company.  Adamolekun is the former Chief Executive Officer of the global restaurant chain P.F. Chang’s.
 

Executives on the Move

Adamolekun is the latest executive on the move.  Chick-fil-A, Bloomin' Brands, Panera Bread, Papa Johns,  Starbucks and Chipotle Mexican Grill are a few of the brands with executive changes in the past few weeks.  Read more.

Red Lobster will continue to operate as an independent company, with 544 locations across 44 U.S. states and four Canadian Provinces.

“Red Lobster is an iconic brand with a tremendous future. I’m looking forward to working with our team members across North America to reinvigorate the brand by making it the best place to work for our employees and improving the experience for our guests,” said  Adamolekun. “I want to thank all of my future colleagues at Red Lobster who have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and dedication to the franchise during the bankruptcy process. Red Lobster’s future is brighter now than ever before – I cannot wait to get started on our investment plan, and to get out and meet diners across the USA and Canada.” 

Adamolekun also previously served as Chief Strategy Officer at P.F. Chang’s and as a Partner at Paulson & Co., a New York based investment firm and the principal owner of P.F. Chang’s, where he played a vital role in the sourcing and subsequent management of several of the firm’s largest investments.

Adamolekun has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, Fox Business, Bloomberg News, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, Nation’s Restaurant News, Time Out New York, New York Business Journal, and the Harvard Business Review.

Previously, Adamolekun has worked in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs and as a Private Equity Associate at TPG Capital.

In 2021,  Adamolekun was recognized with three GLOBEE Leadership Gold awards for CEO of the Year: Food and Beverage, CEO of the Year: Hospitality, Travel, Recreation, Leisure, and Top CEO of the Year: The Rising Star, as well as a GLOBEE Leadership Silver award for CEO Achievers: Transformational Leader of the Year, while in 2022 he was named in Nation’s Restaurant News’ Power List among the most innovative and inspiring leaders in the restaurant industry.

Enso Connect, a guest management platform, helping short-term rentals and boutique hotels to digitize and monetize guest experience, announces a major update to their AI-powered Unified Inbox.

The Challenge of Short-Term Rental Guest Communication 

Exceptional service is the cornerstone of hospitality. Industry professionals invest significant time and emotional labor interacting with guests, addressing needs, and resolving complaints. Enso Connect's Unified Inbox V2 aims to streamline these crucial interactions.

Leveraging smart automation, AI, and data analysis, Unified Inbox V2 empowers hospitality teams to efficiently manage guest conversations, providing immediate support and excellent service.

What's New in Enso Connect’s Unified Inbox V2? 

Our latest update focuses on enhancing speed, quality, and revenue potential in your communications. Building on our reliable multi-channel integration and smart automation, we've added AI-powered features to take your guest interactions to the next level.

The upgraded AI Messaging, Saved Replies, Knowledge Base, Quick Commands, Powerful Filters and Multi-Audience Communication are all designed to help property managers and teams achieve Inbox Zero, provide remarkable guest service, and unlock revenue potential in every interaction.

Key Enhancements 

EnsoAI: Your Team's Ultimate Ally 

EnsoAI empowers your team to respond instantly in any language, maintaining your brand's tone and style. It learns from each interaction, ensuring consistent, high-quality replies 24/7, 365 days a year.

Efficiency In Personalization 

Transform every message into an opportunity for an unforgettable guest experience with our intuitive shortcuts and quick replies.

Proactive Insights for Stellar Service 

EnsoAI goes beyond responding - it analyzes guest sentiment, flags potential issues, and helps maintain your 5-star ratings. Stay ahead of guest needs and expectations.

Professional Branding Made Easy 

Customize your inbox with your business email and phone number, streamline workflows with filters, and set up your account using expert-crafted templates. Showcase your brand identity effortlessly.

Comprehensive Performance Dashboard 

Our intuitive dashboard, powered by EnsoAI, highlights trends and provides actionable insights. Continuously enhance your guest experience with data-driven decision making.

“I love the idea of buying back your time, and our Unified Inbox V2 has been planned and designed with this concept in mind. It’s not just about speed and convenience; it’s about turning every conversation into an opportunity for revenue. By letting automation and AI handle the repetitive tasks, you can focus on what truly matters—delivering exceptional hospitality," says Francois Gouelo, Co-founder and CEO of Enso Connect.

Here’s what our first Beta users are saying: “I think it's unique to what's on the market, to have a unified inbox that represents more functions within the business.” “It's definitely a unified inbox with the actual meaning of a unified inbox.”

Availability The Unified Inbox V2 update is now live across all Enso Connect accounts.

Michael “Mike” Spanos will begin his new role as Chief Executive Officer of Bloomin' Brands Inc. in Tampa on September 3. 

On May 7 former CEO David Deno announced his planned retirement  as CEO and from the Board of Directors.

Spanos joins the company from Delta Air Lines where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In that role he led the global operations/customer experience team of 90,000 employees. Amongst his accomplishments there, Spanos helped advance Delta’s performance as the company continues to lead the industry across all operating metrics.

“We have found an ideal strategist, operations and cultural leader in Mike,” said Michael Mohan, Chairman of the Board for Bloomin’ Brands. “Our board believes that his experience operating complex, multi-unit businesses will benefit our iconic, founder-inspired brands. He has a customer-first mindset for leading established organizations through challenging environments. We look forward to his contributions to Bloomin’ Brands.”

Prior to his service at Delta, Spanos led Six Flags Entertainment as CEO and President, and spent more than 25 years at PepsiCo and the Pepsi Bottling Group in various positions including President Greater China, CEO of Asia Middle East and North Africa sector, and Chief Customer Officer of North American Beverages.

He is a non-executive director at Casey’s General Store where he is a member of the Audit Committee

Chris Kung has joined Zaxby's as its new Chief Digital Officer. He will lead the transformation and acceleration of the company's Loyalty and e-Commerce initiatives.  

"Zaxbys rapid expansion requires the investment of world-class leaders and resources," said Bernard Acoca, Zaxbys CEO. "Chris's expertise in e-Commerce and loyalty programs will help drive incremental growth and enhance the Zaxbys experience as digital touchpoints continue to proliferate throughout the customer journey. His arrival will help us build stronger relationships with our guests by deepening our understanding of their needs and rewarding their patronage with personalized experiences." 

Growing Loyalty

Kung brings over 20 years of innovation and strategy experience to Zaxbys and most recently served as Chief Digital Officer at Dollar General, where he led initiatives that transformed the company into a digital innovator. Kung played a central role in creating the myDG loyalty program. Under his leadership, the company's e-Commerce sales grew 40x in three years, app usage surged from 1.8 million to 7 million monthly active users, and the DG App earned the distinction of the #1 couponing app in America.

Prior to Dollar General, Kung held key leadership positions at Macy's Inc., where he drove omnichannel technology and innovation.

Zaxbys is establishing a new Loyalty & e-Commerce Team, which will report to Kung. This new team will spearhead efforts to make Loyalty and e-Commerce significant contributors to its growth. The creation of the Chief Digital Officer role will open capacity and drive focus for Mike Nettles, Chief Technology Officer, and Patrick Schwing, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, who both previously oversaw a portion of this role.