We’re thrilled to announce Rob Russ’ new role as Chief Operations Officer (COO)! Our revered operations leader for many years, Rob has been with Shamrock from the very beginning. He started as a restaurant manager back when our company Founder, the late Steve McGue, purchased his first two restaurants (KFCs).
To say Rob is very special to us is an understatement. Over the years, he and Steve formed a special bond, growing Shamrock Company from infancy into all that it stands for today, according to Dan McGue, Steve’s son and successor.
“The best compliment a leader can get is to be emulated, and so much of Shamrock has Rob’s fingerprints on it.” -Dan McGue, President & CEO
For over 30 years, Rob has played an integral part in shaping company culture and developing our people. Dan says endearingly that he’s “some incredible combination of a mentor, boss, older brother and biggest fan.”
Given Rob has always enjoyed being in the restaurants where he can get to know team members and managers, it’s not hard to see how he could become a fusion of so many positive personas to those who encounter him.
Rob says he was humbled when Dan asked him to lead at a new level. “I wouldn’t be in this role if it wasn’t for the support and commitment of the restaurant teams,” he says with gratitude.
THEN & NOW
As Dan grew up with the family business in the background, Rob’s growth was on the inside where responsibilities and commitment level continued to increase. His transition today to COO is in conjunction with Shamrock’s exciting expansion into tasty new territory, the deliciousness of Dunkin’ Donuts.
As COO, Rob will oversee Shamrock’s Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts operations through the leadership of our new Regional Vice Presidents (RVPs), three positions also created recently. Together, this mighty team will continue our vision of leading the way!
“Our organization continues to grow in terms of units, people and sales,” Dan says. “There is no one better prepared than Rob to take our culture forward and inspire the next generation of Shamrock restaurant leaders.”
Rob definitely looks forward to what’s next. “I think continuing to be in a leadership role and steer the company in a new brand, keeps it fresh,” he says. “It’s motivating: a chance to have fresh faces, new ideas on board.”
“It’s a challenging time for restaurants,” he says, explaining that competition in the quick service industry is fierce. But to Rob, Shamrock is “a first-class franchise.”
“We’ve extraordinary people in our organization — let’s have extraordinary results,” he says.
To get those results, Rob says he’ll continue to focus on building the bench at every level and developing our people to be great leaders. With 45 years of industry experience, he’s the right guy to do this! Congratulations, Rob!