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Dine Brands Leadership

Board of Directors

Providing oversight for our company’s policies, goals, strategies, actions and progress, the Dine Brands Board of Directors brings together a wide range of diverse experience to guide us forward.

Richard Dahl Image
RICHARD J. DAHL
Chairman of the Board and Director Chairman of the Board and Director

Mr. Dahl serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dine Brands Global, Inc. He has served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors since 2004 and assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2017. Mr. Dahl served as the Corporation’s Lead Director from January 2010 to March 2017. Mr. Dahl served as the chairman of the board of directors of the James Campbell Company LLC, a nationally diversified real estate company, from 2010 to May 2018, and previously served as the president and chief executive officer of James Campbell Company LLC from August 2010 to December 2016. He has been a member of the board of directors of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. since January 2017. He has been a member of the boards of directors of IDACORP, Inc. and its principal subsidiary, Idaho Power Company, since 2008 and has served as Chairman of the board of both IDACORP, Inc. and Idaho Power Company since May 2019. He served as a member of the board of directors of International Rectifier Corporation from February 2008 to January 2015 and as chairman of the board from May 2008 to January 2015. Mr. Dahl also served on the board of directors and as president and chief operating officer of Dole Food Company, Inc. from 2004 to 2007.

  • Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
  • Member of the Audit Committee
JOHN PEYTON
Chief Executive Officer, Dine Brands Global, Inc. Chief Executive Officer, Dine Brands Global, Inc.

John Peyton joined Dine Brands from Realogy Franchise Group where he served as president and chief executive officer. At Realogy, Mr. Peyton was responsible for managing a portfolio of leading real estate franchise brands, including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Corcoran®, ERA, and Sotheby’s International Realty®, which combined have over 19,500 franchised offices and 318,000 brokers and independent sales associates doing business in 115 countries and territories worldwide. In January 2018, Mr. Peyton's responsibilities at Realogy were expanded to include oversight of the company-owned operations of Corcoran and Sotheby’s International Realty. Since 2017, was consecutively named to the Swanepoel 200, an annual list of the most powerful people in real estate.

Mr. Peyton, who joined Realogy as president and chief operating officer in October 2016, previously served for 17 years as a senior executive with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. He is a recognized global branding leader who brings deep experience leading large, complex organizations and maximizing scale while enabling innovation and flexibility. During his nearly two decades with Starwood, most recently serving as chief marketing officer, he leveraged his expertise in global operations and brand building to drive innovation and build loyalty for the company’s leading hotel brands, including St. Regis, W Hotels and Westin, among others.

Mr. Peyton also led Starwood’s Global Initiatives team, where he directed the implementation of key strategic company priorities around the world, including supply chain and revenue management initiatives. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Peyton served as chief operating officer of Starwood’s North America Hotel Division. In 2000, he led Starwood’s launch of Six Sigma – becoming the first company in the hospitality industry to adopt this methodology as a way of improving business processes and driving innovative change. Prior to joining Starwood, he had a 10-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving in both its accounting and management consulting practices.

Mr. Peyton holds an MBA in accounting and marketing from New York University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is active in the community and is a member of the board of directors for Child Advocates of Southern Connecticut.

HOWARD M. BERK
Director Director

Mr. Berk has served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors since 2009. Mr. Berk is a Senior Advisor to BDT & MSD Partners and previously served as Vice Chairman and Partner of MSD Partners. He joined MSD Capital, a private investment firm, in 2002 as a Partner. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Berk was managing director of TG Capital Corp., an investment group that manages the capital of a single family and acquires and invests in both public and private companies. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Berk was with The Stenbeck Group, acquiring and managing businesses in multiple countries. Prior to that, he was with Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he worked in the principal investment area, as well as the mergers and acquisitions department.

Mr. Berk serves on the Board of Directors of White Plains Hospital and UTIMCO (The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company).

Mr. Berk holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Member of the Audit Committee
  • Chair of the Compensation Committee
MATT RYAN
Director Director

Mr. Ryan joined the Corporation’s Board of Directors in February 2024. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Soli Organic, the market leader in organic controlled environment agriculture. Matt brings to the table over 35 years of experience at blue chip growth companies in retail, CPG and entertainment, including Starbucks and The Walt Disney Company. He has also held strategic planning roles with several national and international advertising agencies and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Kaiser Permanente Heath Plan and Hospitals.

  • Member of the Audit Committee
MICHAEL C. HYTER
Director Director

Mr. Hyter has served on the Board of Directors since July 2020. Mr. Hyter serves as the President and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council. Previously, Mr. Hyter served as the Chief Diversity Officer at Korn Ferry International, an organizational and people advisory firm, from June 2020 to March 2021, and was Managing Partner of Korn Ferry International from September 2012 to June 2020. He has also served as the President and Managing Partner of Global Novations LLC, a provider of diversity, inclusion and leadership development solutions, from 2006 to September 2012. From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Hyter served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Novations LLC.

  • Member of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
CAROLINE W. NAHAS
Director Director

Ms. Nahas has served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors since 1992. She has served as Vice Chair of Korn/Ferry International, an organizational and people advisory firm, since January 2015. From 1998 to 2015, she held the position of managing director, Southern California or similar positions, at Korn/Ferry International. She also served as a member of the executive committee of Korn/Ferry International from 1995 until 1998. Ms. Nahas is the former chairman of the board of directors and currently serves on the executive committee of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Ms. Nahas is also an executive committee member of the UCLA Anderson School of Management-Board of Visitors. She previously served as a director of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Town Hall Los Angeles.

  • Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
  • Member of the Compensation Committee
DOUGLAS M. PASQUALE
Director Director

Mr. Pasquale has served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors since March 2013. He has served as chief executive officer of Capstone Enterprises Corporation, an investment and consulting firm, since January 2012. Mr. Pasquale served as Nationwide Health Properties’ chairman of the board of directors from 2009 to 2011, president and chief executive officer from 2004 to 2011 and executive vice president and chief operating officer from 2003 to 2004. He also served as a director of Nationwide Health Properties from 2003 to 2011. He has served on the board of directors of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. since 2005, Terreno Realty Corporation since 2010 and Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. since 2011.

  • Chair of the Audit Committee
MARTHA POULTER
Director Director

Ms. Poulter has served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors since September 2021. Ms. Poulter is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Royal Caribbean Group. In this role, she leads Royal Caribbean Group’s global IT team both on shore and shipboard across multiple brands including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The company is in the midst of a sizeable digital and technological transformation over the next several years. Prior to joining Royal Caribbean in 2018, Ms. Poulter was Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Before joining Starwood in 2014, Ms. Poulter served as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at GE Capital with global responsibility for IT strategy and operations. Ms. Poulter holds a B.S.E. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Connecticut and completed her M.B.A. at the University of New Haven.

  • Member of the Audit Committee
ARTHUR F. STARRS
Director Director

Mr. Starrs is Chief Executive Officer of Topgolf International, Inc. and has served in such capacity since April 2021. Mr. Starrs is responsible for Topgolf’s global businesses which include domestic and international Topgolf venues, Toptracer, and Topgolf Media. Prior to Topgolf, Mr. Starrs was the Global CEO of Pizza Hut, a division of Yum! Brands from July 2019 until April 2021. He was President of Pizza Hut U.S. from April 2016 to July 2019, General Manager of Pizza Hut U.S. October 2015 to April 2016. Prior to that he served as Chief Financial Officer of Pizza Hut U.S. from January 2014 to October 2015 and Vice President – Finance from August 2013 to December 2013. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Grubhub, Inc. and currently serves as a board member for Five Iron Golf. He is a member of numerous non-profit boards, including The First Tee of Greater Dallas, First Book, The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, and Greenhill School. Mr. Starrs’ qualifications to sit on the Corporation’s Board of Directors include his franchise experience across the restaurant and hospitality industries, his experience in management and finance, and his service on the boards of directors or public and private companies.

LILIAN C. TOMOVICH
Director Director

Ms. Tomovich has served on the Corporation’s Board of Directors since January 2017. She has served as the Chief Experience Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for MGM Resorts International, a global hospitality company, since July 2014. Ms. Tomovich served as the Senior Vice President, US Consumer Marketing for MasterCard Worldwide, a global payments solutions company, from 2013 to 2014 and was the country head of Marketing for Canada from 2010 to 2013.

  • Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
  • Member of the Compensation Committee

Our Management Team

The Dine Brands management team unites experienced leaders from the world’s top dining and hospitality industries under our company’s mission to deliver impactful results and growth for our teams, communities, franchisees, and stakeholders.

John Peyton
John Peyton
Chief Executive Officer, Dine Brands Global, Inc. Chief Executive Officer, Dine Brands Global, Inc.

John Peyton joined Dine Brands from Realogy Franchise Group where he served as president and chief executive officer. At Realogy, Mr. Peyton was responsible for managing a portfolio of leading real estate franchise brands, including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Corcoran®, ERA, and Sotheby’s International Realty®, which combined have over 19,500 franchised offices and 318,000 brokers and independent sales associates doing business in 115 countries and territories worldwide. In January 2018, Mr. Peyton's responsibilities at Realogy were expanded to include oversight of the company-owned operations of Corcoran and Sotheby’s International Realty. Since 2017, was consecutively named to the Swanepoel 200, an annual list of the most powerful people in real estate.

Mr. Peyton, who joined Realogy as president and chief operating officer in October 2016, previously served for 17 years as a senior executive with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. He is a recognized global branding leader who brings deep experience leading large, complex organizations and maximizing scale while enabling innovation and flexibility. During his nearly two decades with Starwood, most recently serving as chief marketing officer, he leveraged his expertise in global operations and brand building to drive innovation and build loyalty for the company’s leading hotel brands, including St. Regis, W Hotels and Westin, among others.

Mr. Peyton also led Starwood’s Global Initiatives team, where he directed the implementation of key strategic company priorities around the world, including supply chain and revenue management initiatives. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Peyton served as chief operating officer of Starwood’s North America Hotel Division. In 2000, he led Starwood’s launch of Six Sigma – becoming the first company in the hospitality industry to adopt this methodology as a way of improving business processes and driving innovative change. Prior to joining Starwood, he had a 10-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving in both its accounting and management consulting practices.

Mr. Peyton holds an MBA in accounting and marketing from New York University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is active in the community and is a member of the board of directors for Child Advocates of Southern Connecticut.

Vance Chang
Vance Chang
Chief Financial Officer Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Chang has served as the Chief Financial Officer for Dine Brands since June 2021. Prior to joining Dine Brands, Mr. Chang served as the Chief Financial Officer for Exer Urgent Care. Before that, Mr. Chang was the Chief Financial Officer at YOGAWORKS. Mr. Chang has also held positions at Pressed Juicery, Moelis & Company, Oracle and Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Chang received a degree in accounting from the University of Washington and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Paul Damico
Paul Damico
President, Fuzzy's Taco Shop President, Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Paul Damico is an accomplished and well-respected executive with over 35 years of food service experience in the hospitality industry. Paul's career includes top leadership roles in premium organizations, including Host Marriott, FoodBrand, LLC, Creative Host, SSP America, FOCUS Brands portfolio of restaurants, Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill, and Global Franchise Group. In August of 2021, he was named Chief Executive Officer of Experiential Brands, parent to Fuzzy's Taco Shop.

In 2008, Mr. Damico was recruited to Moe's Southwest Grill (a Roark Capital/Focus Brands company) as President of the organization. Over six years, he grew the company from 200 locations to 680, leading the industry in new restaurant openings and culinary development. During his time with Moe's, Mr. Damico delivered 23 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth and was named by Fast Casual Magazine as a Top 26 Executive.

In the middle of the pandemic, in 2020, he was recruited as CEO to lead Global Franchise Group, made up of over 2,000 restaurant locations under Great American Cookie, Marble Slab Creamery, Hot Dog On A Stick, Pretzel Maker, and Round Table Pizza. In early 2021 he successfully sold GFG to Fat Brands.

Following the sale of Global Franchise Group, he partnered with Atlanta-based NRD Capital and was named CEO of Experiential Brands, a new restaurant holding company with Fuzzy's Taco Shop as the first portfolio brand.

An active member of the restaurant industry, Mr. Damico is an International Franchise Association Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and a Board Member of the National Restaurant Association Fast Casual Industry Council. Mr. Damico has also served on the Georgia Restaurant Association and the Illinois Restaurant Association Advisory Boards.

Gary Dubois
Gary DuBois
Vice President, Quality Assurance Vice President, Quality Assurance

Gary DuBois is an executive with 39 years of experience in the field. As Dine Brands’ Vice President of Quality Assurance, Gary leads the global quality assurance function and supply chain management internationally. He is responsible for all brand protection matters, including supplier and distributor compliance, product commercialization and scale-up, food safety and regulatory, quality systems, nutrition and menu labeling, and animal health and welfare. Additionally, Gary is the ESG Lead for enterprise-wide initiatives that support the company’s ESG strategy.

Prior to joining Dine Brands 13 years ago, Gary held several QA leadership positions at Yum! Brands. During his 25 years at the restaurant company, Gary led both Taco Bell and Pizza Hut’s Quality Assurance groups as well as overseeing globally all distribution toy premium programs.

Before entering the restaurant industry, Gary was commissioned as an officer in the Army Reserve, obtaining the rank of 1st Lieutenant and currently serves as Assistant Secretary of the New York State Society of Cincinnati. The non-profit educational organization is the oldest hereditary patriotic military organization founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army who served in the American Revolution.

Gary earned a Bachelor of Science in Poultry Science from Texas A&M and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga. He currently resides in Altadena, CA, with his wife Susan of 41 years.

Scott
Scott Gladstone
Chief Development Officer Chief Development Officer

Scott Gladstone was appointed to the position of Chief Development Officer in January 2024. In his role, Mr. Gladstone is responsible for overseeing franchise development globally, deepening Dine’s development capabilities and enhancing support for new and existing franchisees for each of Dine’s brands. He also continues to serve as Dine Brands’ International President, a role he has served in since January 2023, overseeing Dine’s global portfolio of Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants across the company’s international markets.

Mr. Gladstone previously served as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation for Dine Brands after serving as Vice President of Strategy, Business Analytics & Consumer Insights for the Applebee’s brand. In this role, he was responsible for a series of strategic growth initiatives. These included ensuring a guest-driven focus across key business and brand-building initiatives by leveraging guest insights and analytics, driving the growth of our off-premise channels (To Go, Catering and Delivery – third-party partners and Applebee’s Delivery), and strengthening the franchisee portfolio through market evolution and restaurant development.

Prior to joining Applebee’s in 2016, Scott was a Project Leader at The Boston Consulting Group, leading strategy and operations projects across a variety of industries and topics. His experience included efforts focused on brand transformation, marketing optimization, growth strategy and consumer insights.

Scott received his undergraduate degree from Emory University and his M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Jay
Jay D. Johns
President, IHOP President, IHOP

Jay Johns was appointed to the position of president of IHOP in June 2019. As president, Mr. Johns is responsible for the overall strategic direction for all functional areas of IHOP. Since joining IHOP in September 2012, he has held various operations leadership roles, including senior vice president, strategic operations implementation from November 2013 to April 2017.

Most recently, Mr. Johns served as senior vice president of operations of IHOP. In this role, he oversaw strategic insight and implementation of processes, programs and initiatives that improved efficiencies, sales, profit and guest satisfaction in our restaurants. Mr. Johns is a veteran in the strategic and process improvement arena as well as daily restaurant operations.

Previously, Mr. Johns held executive level positions with Applebee’s where he served as senior vice president, strategic operations implementation and TGI Fridays, where he served as vice president of strategic operations, director of process improvement, director of operations and general manager.

Mr. Johns received his Bachelor of Science in Administrative Sciences from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Mr. Johns has also earned several certifications from the University of Minnesota’s Executive Leadership and Six Sigma Black Belt Program.

Tony
Tony Moralejo
President, Applebee's President, Applebee's

Tony Moralejo was appointed to the position of president of Applebee’s in January 2023. As president, Mr. Moralejo is responsible for the overall strategic direction for all functional areas of Applebee’s.

Mr. Moralejo previously served as a President, International and Global Development for Dine Brands and was responsible for the international growth and overall strategic direction of all functional areas of Applebee’s and IHOP.

Before Dine Brands, Mr. Moralejo was Executive Vice President of International Business and Global Development for Cajun Operating Company, an international quick-service restaurant company operating Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken. He was responsible for developing and implementing strategic business plans and goals related to the ongoing operations and growth of the company’s international business.

Prior to Cajun Operating Company, Mr. Moralejo worked for more than 18 years for Burger King Corp. in several senior leadership roles in different functions, including franchise development, legal, and international.

Mr. Moralejo earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami.

Susan
Susan Nelson
Sr. Vice President, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer Sr. Vice President, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer

Susan Nelson is SVP, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer. Ms. Nelson is responsible for all aspects of communications including brand and reputation management, internal communications, social responsibility, and public affairs.

Before joining Dine Brands Global, Ms. Nelson was Vice President of Communications for Applebee’s where she was responsible for communications, public relations, crisis and issues management, and franchisee communications. Prior to that, Ms. Nelson was Vice President of Marketing for CoreLogic, a leading provider of consumer, financial and property data, analytics, and services to business and the government. She led marketing planning and go-to-market sales strategies including research, message and creative development, value proposition, positioning, communications, and customer experience.

Prior to CoreLogic, Ms. Nelson worked for McDonald’s Corporation for more than 12 years in several senior communications leadership roles. Ms. Nelson served as a thought-partner to the C-suite and was responsible for internal communications, franchisee communications, and brand building initiatives.

Ms. Nelson earned her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Oklahoma Christian University.

Justin
Justin Skelton
Chief Information Officer Chief Information Officer

Justin Skelton is Chief Information Officer for Dine Brands. Mr. Skelton is responsible for enterprise information technology including business intelligence, digital, applications and infrastructure and is a member of the executive team. Mr. Skelton joined Dine Brands in June 2019 as Vice President, IT Infrastructure and Operations before being promoted to Chief Information Officer.

Before joining Dine Brands, Mr. Skelton served as Vice President, Infrastructure, Support, and Operations at CVS Health. He was responsible for Networks, Storage, Compute, Mainframe, I-series, Middleware, Data Centers, and Enterprise Systems Management.

Prior to CVS Health, Mr. Skelton worked for more than seven years at Bank of America in various senior leadership roles including Senior Vice President/Chief Information Officer for Insurance Services, and Chief Technology Officer for the Home Loans and Insurance division. Before joining Bank of America, he served as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for The Auto Club Group (AAA).

Mr. Skelton earned his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his Bachelor of Science in Business Technology from California State University, San Bernardino.

Christine
Christine Son
Sr. Vice President, Legal General Counsel & Secretary Sr. Vice President, Legal General Counsel & Secretary

Having worked at Dine Brands for more than 10 years, Christine Son has developed a reputation as being a brand-focused attorney with a keen knowledge of the restaurant business. In April 2021, Son became Senior Vice President for legal, general counsel and secretary of Dine Brands Global, based in Glendale, CA. In addition to legal, Son oversees risk management, franchise administration, government relations and internal audit at the company. Son has a long and successful track record with Dine Brands, working with both the IHOP and Applebee’s leadership teams. Prior to her roles within Dine Brands, she previously served as a Senior Counsel for nearly two years at Roll Law Group in Los Angeles, and as an Associate for seven years with Sidley Austin.

Christie Cook
Christie Cook
Vice President, Human Resources Vice President, Human Resources

Christie Cook is an exceptional leader experienced in developing and implementing HR programs that align with business objectives, driving organizational change initiatives, and leading talent management strategies. As VP of Human Resources for Dine Brands Global, Ms. Cook is responsible for building an effective HR function that supports Dine and its brands by maximizing its team members’ talent.

Since joining Applebee’s in 1999 and later transitioning to the Dine Brands Global team to support all brands, Ms. Cook has driven exceptional results in operations, learning & development, and human resources. Starting as an hourly restaurant team member before moving into corporate has fueled her passion for developing and nurturing talent at all levels.

Ms. Cook earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and her MS in Organizational Change Leadership from the University of Wisconsin.