The head of Whataburger is leaving after a 20-year career at the San Antonio-based company and is slated to be replaced by a veteran of McDonald’s Corp. and Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Officer Ed Nelson will retire at the end of this year, Whataburger announced Tuesday. He joined the company in 2004 as controller and was promoted to the positions of chief financial officer and president before becoming CEO in 2020.
1 by Debbie Stroud, who joined the company in early 2023 as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Previously, she worked in financial and operational roles at Starbucks for five years and at McDonald’s for 27 years. “Working alongside Ed and our dedicated leadership team has been an extraordinary experience,” she said in a statement. “I am eager to realize the bright future ahead for our company.