CHICAGO, August 19, 2026 — Supply-chain veteran Pete Suerken is stepping down as president of Wendy’s U.S. operations to resume his former job of running the burger chain’s independent purchasing co-op.
Suerken tendered his resignation as president of Wendy’s on Friday but has agreed to continue serving in his current capacity until Aug. 31, according to a securities filing by the chain’s parent, The Wendy’s Co. He has been in the job for roughly 13 months.
No reason was given for Suerken’s decision. The resignation comes as Wendy’s Co. investor Nelson Peltz is reportedly mulling another run at taking the public company private.
The well-known investor purchased all of Wendy’s stock for about $2.4 billion in 2008 as a complement to his other quick-service holding at the time, Arby’s. He then sold Arby’s to the private-equity company Roark Capital, where it became the foundation for what is now Inspire Brands.
Wendy’s was resold to the public by Peltz later that year.
In addition, Wendy’s Co. indicated in its most recent call with financial analysts that it was considering a reorganization and management restructuring.
With that possibility still pending, the company said it would not hire a new U.S. president to succeed Suerken. Instead, his duties will shift to a chief operations officer, a new position for the company. That COO will report to the worldwide CEO of Wendy’s Co.
Suerken’s rise through purchasing to become a chain president is highly unusual in the restaurant business. He had served as CEO and president of Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op from January 2021 to July 2025, when he was named president of Wendy’s USA.
The co-op is run as a separate entity from Wendy’s Co. to serve the chain’s franchisees.
Curiously, Suerken is the second high-profile supply-chain veteran to return to the helm of a major chain’s purchasing cooperative. About three months ago, Steve Pattison announced that he was stepping out of retirement to become CEO of Denny’s new co-op, Supply Leadership Administration and Management, or SLAM.
Pattison was a senior executive of Restaurant Supply International, the co-op serving Burger King, for 20 years.