International Dairy Queen Hires Art D’Elia as Chief Operating Officer

D’Elia to lead DQ business in the U.S. and Canada, including nearly 275 DQ employees, 3,700 DQ franchise owners and nearly 5,000 DQ restaurants.

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) today announced Art D’Elia joined the company as chief operating officer, U.S. and Canada, reporting to the president and CEO. He will lead a team of nearly 275 DQ® employees in operations, training and marketing to achieve the company’s financial objectives, grow franchisee sales and profits, and maintain and grow the strength and reputation of the DQ system.

“Art’s strategic vision for the DQ business and strong leadership in brand strategy, marketing, operations and system sales growth position him well to lead our business in the U.S. and Canada,” said Troy Bader, president and CEO at International Dairy Queen. “His proven record of success in the quick-service restaurant industry paired with compelling marketing leadership in consumer packaged goods will elevate our franchise business to the next level and deliver on our vision to become the world’s favorite quick-service restaurant.”

“It is a tremendous honor to join the DQ team and lead the business in the U.S. and Canada,” said Art D’Elia, chief operating officer, U.S. and Canada, at International Dairy Queen. “I have long admired the iconic DQ brand and I am energized by the potential to grow the business, partner with world-class DQ franchisees, and introduce even more consumers to the DQ experience.”

Prior to joining IDQ, D’Elia spent seven years at Domino’s Pizza where he led the international business and served as chief marketing officer. He also was chief marketing officer at Danone Dairy UBN (United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and held several marketing, corporate strategy, and development roles at PepsiCo.

D’Elia holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He will office from IDQ world headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About International Dairy Queen, Inc.

International Dairy Queen, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corporation and Dairy Queen Canada, Inc. Through its subsidiaries, IDQ develops, licenses and services a system of more than 7,700 DQ restaurants in more than 20 countries. IDQ is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (Berkshire), which is led by Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire. For more information, visit DairyQueen.com.

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