Executive Spotlight: Dan Cathy, Chairman of Chick-fil-A (2027)
Dan Cathy is the Chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc. He led the company as president and chief operating officer from 2001, became chairman and CEO in November 2013, and handed the CEO role to Andrew Cathy on November 1, 2021, remaining Chairman of the Board. Chick-fil-A says its revenue grew from roughly $1 billion to $16 billion during his time as CEO.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from Chick-fil-A's own pages and published coverage.
Current role and company
Chick-fil-A's own pages list Dan Cathy as Chairman, and its 2021 announcement says he stayed on as Chairman of the Board when the CEO role changed hands. Chick-fil-A describes itself as a privately held, family-owned company founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy. Andrew Cathy is CEO, and in 2024 the company named Susannah Frost President and Cliff Robinson Chief Operating Officer.
- CompanyChick-fil-A, Inc.
- TitleChairman, per Chick-fil-A's website.
- CEO of the company2013 to 2021.
- Company founded1967, by S. Truett Cathy.
Career path
- Operations and executive roles. The National Association of Corporate Directors lists earlier roles as Senior Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations and Executive Vice President.
- President and Chief Operating Officer. Nation's Restaurant News reported in November 2013 that he had been president and COO since 2001.
- Chair and CEO. In November 2013 he became chair and chief executive, succeeding S. Truett Cathy, who became chair emeritus, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
- Chairman of the Board. Chick-fil-A announced on September 16, 2021 that Andrew Cathy would become CEO on November 1, 2021, with Dan Cathy remaining Chairman of the Board and Tim Tassopoulos continuing as President and COO.
What he is known for
- Growth as CEO. Chick-fil-A's 2021 announcement says annual revenue grew from roughly $1 billion to $16 billion during his tenure.
- Customer service focus. Nation's Restaurant News in 2013 tied him to the chain's Second Mile Service approach, which encourages employees to go beyond what customers expect. The National Association of Corporate Directors notes that Newsweek named Chick-fil-A the top fast-food restaurant for customer service in 2019.
- Industry recognition. In 2013 Nation's Restaurant News reported that the company received its second Golden Chain award, after its first in 2005, and that Chick-fil-A had overtaken KFC as the largest U.S. chicken chain by systemwide sales.
- Planned succession. The 2021 handover to Andrew Cathy was the third Cathy family CEO change in the company's 54-year history, as Chick-fil-A described it.
Leadership style and philosophy
The clearest public statement of his approach to leadership is in the 2021 succession announcement, where he framed the handover as a matter of readiness: "The most successful CEO transitions are made when the next leader is ready to lead." He also said he had every confidence Andrew Cathy was ready. This page found no longer interviews or talks of his own to quote from.
Key numbers
Company-reported figures for Chick-fil-A, with the period shown. They describe the company, not Dan Cathy personally.
- Revenue growth during his CEO tenureRoughly $1 billion to $16 billion, per Chick-fil-A's September 2021 announcement.
- RestaurantsMore than 3,000 in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, per Chick-fil-A's August 2024 announcement.
- Team membersMore than 200,000, per the same August 2024 announcement.
- End of 2012 (trade-press census)1,669 units and systemwide sales above $4.5 billion, per Nation's Restaurant News, November 2013.
What to watch next
Worth tracking: how the leadership team of CEO Andrew Cathy, President Susannah Frost and COO Cliff Robinson carries out the international expansion Chick-fil-A has announced, which now includes restaurants in the United Kingdom and Singapore.
Questions people ask
Who is Dan Cathy?
He is the Chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc. and was the company's CEO from 2013 to 2021.
Is Dan Cathy still the CEO of Chick-fil-A?
No. Andrew Cathy became CEO on November 1, 2021, and Dan Cathy remained Chairman of the Board.
When did Dan Cathy become CEO?
Nation's Restaurant News reported in November 2013 that he became chair and CEO, succeeding S. Truett Cathy.
What did he do before becoming CEO?
He served as president and chief operating officer, a role Nation's Restaurant News reports he held from 2001, and earlier held operations and executive roles.
How much did Chick-fil-A grow under his leadership?
Chick-fil-A's 2021 announcement says annual revenue grew from roughly $1 billion to $16 billion during his tenure as CEO.
Who runs Chick-fil-A now?
Andrew Cathy is CEO. In 2024 the company named Susannah Frost President and Cliff Robinson Chief Operating Officer.
Sources
- Chick-fil-A: Andrew Truett Cathy named third CEO (Sept 16, 2021) · Succession, Chairman role, revenue growth, quote
- Chick-fil-A: Is Chick-fil-A family-owned? · Current Chairman and CEO titles
- Chick-fil-A: Susannah Frost named President (Aug 15, 2024) · Current leadership team, restaurant and team member counts
- Nation's Restaurant News: Chick-fil-A names Dan Cathy CEO, chairman (Nov 2013) · 2013 promotion, 2001 president and COO, 2012 figures
- NACD: Dan T. Cathy speaker bio · Earlier roles, Newsweek 2019 mention, headshot
Facts were read from the linked pages on October 31, 2026, partly through a fetch tool that returns summaries, so confirm details on the original pages. The hero photo comes from Dan Cathy's National Association of Corporate Directors speaker profile; its original copyright holder is not stated there. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: National Association of Corporate Directors speaker profile (nacdonline.org/speaker-bios/dan-t-cathy)