How I Got Here: Chris Turner, Chief Executive Officer at Yum! Brands
Education
DeWitt High School
Dewitt, Arkansas, United States
(1988– 1992)
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States
Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering
(1992 – 1997)
Stanford University
Stanford, California, United States
MBA
(2000 – 2002)
If we were to interview your teachers, what would they say about you?
Chris was a well-rounded student. He had a high level of curiosity and was studious. His peers voted Chris the 'Wittiest Student' of his class.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A farmer – I grew up in southeast Arkansas on a rice farm. There was also a time when I wanted to be a policeman, as many kids do, and a comedian because I love making people laugh.
WORK
First Job
I started driving big tractors and walking rice fields the summer I turned 10. My dad was a fourth generation rice farmer, and I ended up majoring in industrial engineering because I thought I could do something with technology and operations in farming.
Walmart, Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
1996 - 1997: Logistics Analyst
Accenture, Dallas, Texas, United States
1997 - 2000: Consultant
McKinsey & Company, Dallas, Texas, United States
2002 - 2004: Associate
2004 - 2006: Engagement Manager
2006 - 2008: Associate Partner
2009 - 2016: Partner
PepsiCo, Dallas, Texas & Rogers, Arkansas, United States
2016 - 2017: Senior Vice President, Strategy, Frito-Lay North America
2017: Senior Vice President, Transformation, Frito-Lay North America
2017 - 2019: Senior Vice President & General Manager, Global Walmart Service Team
Yum! Brands, Plano, Texas, United States
2019 - 2025: Chief Financial & Franchise Officer
2025 - present: Chief Executive Officer
Do you believe in work/life balance?
I believe work/life balance is the most important thing, but I also know I'm never going to have a role where it's 9 to 5. So for me, it's about how to get balance in other ways. I maximize the quality of every minute that I have with my family, as opposed to letting that time go to waste, because that's really precious time.
Who has shaped your mindset in a significant way?
Jimmy Wright
When I was younger, I spent almost every day with Jimmy, one of my coworkers on the farm. He was in his early 40s with only a basic education and had very little from a material standpoint, but he worked incredibly hard, was one of the wisest people I'd ever met, remained humble and had this amazingly positive attitude. At an early age, Jimmy taught me that it doesn’t matter what you have, it matters how you act.
My Great Grandmother
After moving to rural Arkansas, my great grandmother worked as a phone salesperson, traveling house to house. She'd never done anything like it in her life, but she saw a need and took action. I carry her work ethic and resolve with me to this day and consider her a great example of the leadership qualities that we look for at Yum! — leading with smart, heart and courage.
Sam Walton
The summer before my senior year in college, I took an internship just up the road at Walmart. I took founder Sam Walton's quotes to heart: "Ordinary people on their way to doing extraordinary things" and "There is only one boss – the customer and she can fire any one of use by spending her money elsewhere." I even still have his book "Made in America," which I read religiously that summer.
My Sister
My sister wandered through her 20s before finding her passion while teaching English in a small, Costa Rican village. She moved to Dallas in her 30s and started Solar Prep, an all-girls, public STEM school that maximizes student diversity. The school continues to make a huge impact and has received national recognition. Unfortunately, my sister died in May 2019 after a short, but fierce, battle with cancer. When she was diagnosed, someone recommended the book “Chasing Daylight,” written by a past CEO of KPMG who was given 90 days to live after his diagnosis. My sister said she had been chasing daylight ever since she found her passion for education and thankfully had fulfilled her dreams with Solar Prep. It’s a great lesson for all of us to step back and say, “I don’t know how much time I’ve got, so I must make the best of each and every day.”
What is a piece of advice that you've found insightful?
Let people be great at what they’re great at.
What makes you happy?
At home, it’s seeing my family happy, healthy and fulfilled. At work, it’s witnessing team members do things they didn’t think were possible.
What's your professional 'why'?
My professional passion has always been to make an impact. Coming up with good solutions is necessary, but you can’t just let those solutions sit as pretty presentations on a bookshelf. You also have to influence and inspire people to bring the ideas to life in the real world.
