Kelli Valade joined Denny’s Corporation as CEO in June 2022. With a commitment to delivering a guest-first experience in a welcoming and friendly environment, Kelli continues to elevate the brand’s purpose and value.
Overseeing both Denny’s and Keke’s Breakfast Café, Kelli is excited about the opportunity of growing both brands.
Before joining Denny’s, Kelli led restaurant insights powerhouse Black Box Intelligence™ as the CEO and President, with a focus on helping the restaurant industry recover from the effects of the pandemic. Kelli left Black Box in 2021 after a successful strategic sale of the company to Diversis Capital. Kelli then joined Red Lobster as CEO in August of 2021 and spent her time building a strong team poised to deliver on a renewed “relevance” strategy.
Prior to this, Kelli spent over 22 years at Brinker International, including serving as Brand President for Chili’s Grill & Bar where she was responsible for 80,000+ ChiliHeads and more than 1,600 restaurants. In this role, she established a clear vision and bold strategies and cultivated a purpose-driven culture, all with uncompromising dedication to the guest and her team members. While at Brinker, she previously held other leadership positions including Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources.
Kelli serves on the board of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF), the executive committee of the board of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), and the board of directors for Seasoned, a start-up company focused on breakthrough recruiting solutions for restaurant companies. Kelli also sits on the Board of Trustees for the Shelton School in Dallas.
Kelli has received industry recognitions, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ Top 50 Power List in 2017, 2019 and 2021, The Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo’s Beacon Award in 2016 and Dallas Business Journal’s Woman Worth Watching Award in 2013. She also recently earned the distinguished alumni award from Binghamton University.
Kelli earned her bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University and an MBA from Syracuse University. She is married and has two adult children.