Dallas-based Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) has promoted George Felix to executive vice president and chief marketing officer, overseeing marketing for both Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy.
Felix joined Brinker in 2022 as SVP and CMO of Chili’s, “with a successful track record of making legacy brands exciting again,” Brinker said.
His vision, strategy and leadership brought creative and authentic marketing to Chili’s that helped return the brand to category leadership in both sales and traffic growth, the company added—resulting in Brinker International’s market cap increasing from $1.3 billion at the start of his tenure to $6.25 billion as of March 2, 2026.
Felix also partnered with Chili’s operations to help simplify and improve execution so that food and service at Chili’s is as good in the restaurants as it looks in advertising, Brinker added.
In his expanded role, Felix will continue to lead marketing at Chili’s and will now bring that same strategic vision to Maggiano’s. As part of the “Back to Maggiano’s” strategy, he will focus on clarifying the brand’s positioning and improving execution to drive stronger performance. Felix will help Maggiano’s to deliver Italian-American favorites “abundantly served with warm and attentive service that makes our guests feel like family,” Brinker said.
Brinker CEO and President Kevin Hochman said Felix “has proven that when you deeply understand your guests and stay relentlessly focused on what makes a brand special, extraordinary results follow.”
“His leadership has shaped the entire guest experience and delivered sustainable results by making Chili’s more relevant than ever,” Hochman added in a statement. “Elevating him to lead marketing for both brands reflects our confidence in his ability to apply a proven playbook to Maggiano’s and accelerate performance.”
Felix’ accolades have included being named one of Fast Company’s 2025 CMOs of the Year, Ad Age 2025 CMO of the Year, ADWEEK 2024 Marketing Vanguard award winner, among others.
He will continue reporting to Brinker CEO and President Kevin Hochman.
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