El Pollo Loco, Inc. (“El Pollo Loco” or “Company”) (Nasdaq: LOCO), the nation’s leading fire-grilled chicken chain, today announced the appointment of Jason Weintraub as Chief Legal Officer, effective August 29. Bringing nearly 20 years of experience, Mr. Weintraub is the most recent addition to El Pollo Loco’s newly restructured Senior Leadership Team. His appointment follows Miguel Lozano, Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Jaffe, Chief People Officer and Hector Muñoz, Chief Marketing Officer, who were brought in over the course of a year to lead El Pollo Loco’s transformation agenda.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Jason as our new Chief Legal Officer and member of our Leadership Team,” said Bernard Acoca, President and Chief Executive Officer at El Pollo Loco. “His previous experience in franchise matters will be invaluable as we seek to grow the brand in new geographies and look to forge even tighter bonds with our franchise partners.”
Most recently, Mr. Weintraub served as the Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary for BSH Home Appliances Corporation in Irvine, Calif. There he led the Legal, Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management functions. His role included documenting transactions facilitating billions in revenue, leading a deal team for multiple strategic acquisitions, and supporting partnerships enabling accelerated growth for the company.
Prior to BSH, Mr. Weintraub worked at Taco Bell where he led the transactional legal function, developed and implemented a brand licensing program, and served as Head of Business Development for Taco Bell International. He also structured international franchise partnerships yielding a 600% increase in new unit development within two years and supported the brand’s launch in multiple new markets.
“I’m excited to join the impressive team at El Pollo Loco,” said Mr. Weintraub. “Having the chance to lead the legal function for such an iconic brand fulfills a long-standing career goal. I look forward to leading the team and working closely with the Leadership Team to grow and transform this great brand and company.”
