Current Honma Executive President John Kawaja will take over as president of the company in North America, the company announced today.

Mark King, Honma Strategic Advisor, and the man previously unofficially filling that role, has accepted a position as the CEO of Taco Bell (a subsidiary of Yum! Brands).

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such a fantastic team here in North America. Mark established a wonderful foundation of talent and culture and was instrumental in getting us to where we are today. I’m humbled to help lead this iconic brand into a bright future in North America,” said Kawaja.

“We accomplished a great deal in my time at Honma and I’m proud of all the strides we’ve made in a short time. The team we were able to assemble in North America has some incredible things planned and I’m excited to watch them grow. With John at the helm I have no doubt the best of Honma is ahead,” said King.

King, formerly of TaylorMade and Adidas, oversaw the relocation of Honma North America headquarters from Cypress, California, to Carlsbad and established the current leadership structure.

Under Kawaja Jeff Letourneau, Chief Operating Officer for North America will continue in his position.

Brian Niccol, Taco Bell’s former CEO, left for Chipotle in February 2018.

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