Godiva Names Brent Franks its First COO

Brent Franks has been named chief operating officer of Godiva Chocolatier, a new role for the company. 

Most recently COO, International, of Aramark, Franks will be responsible for operations in all of the company’s global markets, including driving unified growth as Godiva continues to expand beyond formal gifting into new channels and categories.

Prior to his seven years at Aramark, where he helped accelerating the company’s growth, Franks spent nearly three decades with Pepsi Bottling Company. There he held such roles as president of Pepsi Mexico, senior vice president of global sales and chief customer officer.

Godiva CEO Annie Young-Scrivner created the COO role as part of her vision for unlocking fivefold growth for the business worldwide. Franks is now the ninth member of Godiva’s executive committee to be appointed by Young-Scrivner since she first took the helm as CEO in 2017.

"Godiva is at a pivotal point where the role of COO is necessary to ensure that operational excellence will scale at the same pace as our aspirations for global business growth," said Young-Scrivner. "Brent is a proven leader who brings a combination of operational expertise, outstanding customer service and inspirational leadership to the COO role. I look forward to realizing the full potential that Brent's impressive experience represents for our business as we continue to make our brand more accessible through our Godiva Cafés and the expansion of our consumer packaged goods business."

Founded in 1926 in Brussels, Belgium, Godiva distributes its food and beverage products in more than 100 countries.