Over 25 years leading consumer brands
John started his career in finance at Fidelity Investments, then spent ten years at Pizza Hut under PepsiCo and Yum Brands, rising from Financial Analyst to Director of Marketing and Strategy. He went on to serve as CMO of the NBA's Houston Rockets, then spent 16 years at Denny's, rising from VP to Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Brand Officer, and President of the $2.9 billion brand. There, he led the creation of the Denny's Mobile Relief Diner, a custom-built 53-foot truck and kitchen that still serves warm meals, and feeds souls, in communities hit by disaster. Most recently, he was CEO and President of la Madeleine Bakery & Café.
He has operated inside public, private, and founder-led companies, and worked closely with private equity firms and family offices on growth and capital strategy. He has been in the hot seat in front of a public company board, franchisee boards and committees, and investors, and knows how each of those relationships really works, as do the seasoned partners HMS brings in. He is deeply connected across the restaurant, hospitality, retail, sports and entertainment, and consumer products industries. He founded HMS Growth Partners in 2024 to advise founders, CEOs, boards, and investors on growth, and invests in early-stage consumer brands.
25+ national honors, including Cannes Lions, Effie, and National ADDY awards. Forbes World's Most Influential CMOs, Business Insider's 50 Most Innovative CMOs, Nation's Restaurant News Power List, PRWeek Power 50, and Adweek 50.
Keynotes, panels, fireside chats, and podcasts on brand turnarounds, franchise alignment, growth strategy, and leadership. Recent: Restaurant Leadership Conference, Food on Demand, Global Franchise Summer Summit, and several podcasts, all in 2026. Past stages include the Forbes CMO Summit, ANA Masters of Marketing, the Reuters Strategic Marketing Summit, the Sports Business Journal Symposium, and Wharton.
Invite John to speakBreakthrough T1D DFW Board and 2026 Dallas Walk Chair. Women in Business at Baylor University Advisory Board. The Root Cause Board of Directors. Private Directors Association. Former: ANA Board of Directors, AIMM Chair, Ad Council Board of Directors, Adweek Advisory Board, Baylor Hankamer School of Business Board, Clemson University Erwin Center Board of Advisors, and C-suite mentor with Virtuosi LEAP.
B.B.A., Baylor University. Finance for Senior Executives, Harvard Business School Executive Education. Inaugural Executive in Residence, Baylor Hankamer School of Business.