Bloomin' Brands, the company behind Outback Steakhouse, makes changes to its executive hierarchy
Bloomin' Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and other popular restaurant brands, has announced several key leadership appointments aimed at supporting the company’s ongoing business turnaround, with a strong focus on reviving the Outback Steakhouse brand.
New CFO and Executive Leadership Changes
On August 4, 2025, Eric Christel joined as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer-Elect at Bloomin' Brands. Christel brings nearly 20 years of financial leadership experience in the food and beverage sector, including senior roles at The Campbell’s Company and PepsiCo. He will fully assume the CFO role by September 8, 2025.
Current CFO, Michael Healy, will transition to a newly created role as Executive Vice President of Strategy & Transformation. Healy will lead the strategic initiatives central to Bloomin’ Brands’ turnaround efforts, prioritizing Outback Steakhouse’s revival. Healy’s 16-year tenure at Bloomin’ Brands and broad experience in finance, supply chain, and brand leadership position him well to manage revenue growth and transformational strategies. He will be supported by Susan Cline, Group Vice President, Strategy & Transformation, who has extensive restaurant operations experience including leadership roles at Outback.
John Bettin will join as Senior Vice President and President of Bonefish Grill on September 2, 2025, reinforcing leadership capacity across other Bloomin’ Brands’ units. CEO Mike Spanos emphasized that the leadership team is committed to returning Outback to growth with a focus on operational excellence and guest hospitality.
Impact on Outback Steakhouse’s Revival
The leadership changes reflect a strong operational and financial focus intended to reinvigorate sales and profit growth at Outback. The combination of Christel’s financial transformation expertise and Healy’s strategy leadership targets Outback’s turnaround through strategic initiatives and operational improvements. Susan Cline’s restaurant operation experience, including familiarity with Outback itself, is an asset for executing the turnaround on the ground. CEO Mike Spanos reaffirms dedication to founder’s values centered on guest hospitality and team strength, which aligns with Outback’s brand identity and customer experience focus.
Other Leadership Appointments
Randy Scruggs, who has more than four years of experience with Bloomin' Brands, has been promoted to SVP, supply chain at the company. Tara Kurian, who has been with Bloomin' Brands for more than three years, was promoted to SVP, investor relations, financial planning and analysis, and international. Jessica Mitory, with more than 15 years of HR leadership experience, is joining Bloomin' Brands as the new Chief Human Resources Officer.
In summary, these leadership appointments are strategically designed to bring fresh financial rigor, strategic focus, and operational expertise, creating a stronger leadership bench poised to accelerate Outback Steakhouse’s revival within the broader Bloomin’ Brands portfolio.
[1] Bloomin' Brands Press Release, August 4, 2025. [2] Restaurant Business Online, August 5, 2025. [3] Nation's Restaurant News, August 6, 2025. [4] QSR Magazine, August 7, 2025. [5] Forbes, August 8, 2025.
Food and beverage industry veteran Eric Christel, previously from The Campbell’s Company and PepsiCo, joined Bloomin' Brands on August 4, 2025, as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer-Elect. His extensive experience in finance will support the ongoing business transformation, particularly in the revival of Outback Steakhouse.
Finance leader Michael Healy, who has been with Bloomin' Brands for 16 years, will transition to an Executive Vice President role in Strategy & Transformation. Healy will prioritize strategic initiatives that aim to reinvigorate sales and profit growth at Outback Steakhouse, leveraging his broad experience in finance, supply chain, and brand leadership.
