Domino's Names Joe Jordan as New CEO from Within
Domino's Pizza has handed the top job to Joe Jordan, its Chief Operating Officer and President of Domino's US, who becomes Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 2026. Anyone who follows the company expected this. The succession has been telegraphed for years.
Russell Weiner, Chief Executive since 2022, shifts to Executive Chairman Designate at once and takes the full Executive Chairman role after the 2027 annual meeting.
A handoff built years in advance
Joe arrives as a 15-year insider, having run marketing, US and international operations, technology and franchisee support across his career at the chain. On his watch the company opened more than 3,000 stores overseas, relaunched its loyalty and e-commerce platforms and struck a string of global digital marketplace partnerships. He joins the board in October.
None of this happened by chance. Russell came up from Chief Operating Officer too, and those before him also rose through the ranks. For more than a decade Domino's has filled its top job from within, never once calling an external search firm.
Outgoing Executive Chairman David Brandon, who retires after 28 years and steps off the board, frames the choice as design rather than luck.
"After a thoughtful succession planning process, the Board unanimously concluded that Joe is the right leader to serve as Domino's next CEO," he says. He credits a culture of developing leaders from within and a candidate who has earned the trust of franchisees worldwide.
Joe takes over on US$925,000, a 200% target bonus and a board seat, while Russell lingers as Executive Chairman rather than vanishing. The man leaves a brand in good order. 18 years in, his "Hungry for MORE strategy" is still selling pizza, having added more than 3,200 net stores and pushed global sales up by nearly US$3bn.
The last pizza chain standing
One by one, the pizza giants are stumbling, and Domino's is the only one still opening doors rather than closing them. Papa Johns plans to shut 300 restaurants by the end of 2027, while Pizza Hut was sold to a private equity firm earlier this month after a long run of falling US sales. Domino's is going the other way, aiming for more than 175 net new domestic stores this year.
"I think the industry headwinds are actually tailwinds for us," he tells CNBC, betting rivals cannot match Domino's discounts without bleeding their own franchisees dry.
Domino's leans on scale, loyalty data and a delivery network rivals cannot easily undercut, which is exactly why Russell expects them to keep retreating rather than fighting.
He has floated doubling its market share and seizing half the entire US quick-service pizza market.
Why internal succession is back in fashion
A December 2025 study by Spencer Stuart found that 60% of S&P 500 companies filled C-suite roles internally last year. Some 76% of chief executives and 80% of COOs were promoted from inside.
Many boards still look outside for a turnaround chief, betting that a new voice and fresh story beat a known quantity. Domino's is betting the opposite.
Meanwhile, Joe inherits the job at a tense moment. First-quarter sales fell below expectations and rising labour and ingredient costs are squeezing everyone, including Domino's.
