Franklin / TN. (cke) CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc., parent company of «Carl’s Jr.» and «Hardee’s», announced the appointment of Max Wetzel as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Wetzel succeeds Ned Lyerly. Wetzel brings extensive experience in franchising, restaurants, and growing consumer brands. Wetzel was previously Chief Operating Officer of Papa John’s International Inc., one of the largest franchisors of restaurants in the world, with over 5,000 restaurants across 48 countries and territories, where he led the brand’s dramatic turnaround to strong growth and profitability. «The entire CKE team has built an incredible business and accomplished so much over the last several years. I see massive opportunity to build on these accomplishments and accelerate growth of the two brands,» stated Wetzel. «We are excited to welcome Max to lead CKE. His proven record leading brands to realize their growth potential is ideally suited for «Carl’s Jr.» and «Hardee’s» as the brands set forth on their next chapter,» said Sarah Spiegel, CKE Board Member.