Debbie Stroud

Debbie leads Whataburger in its 75th anniversary year with a strong vision for operational excellence and high-quality made-to-order food. Since joining as COO in 2023, her experience has supported the company through a growth spurt, having expanded to 1,070+ restaurants across 16 states and introducing fan-favorite products to grocery shelves in 27 states. She joined the company with more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant and retail industry, most recently as Senior Vice President, U.S. Retail Operations for Starbucks. She previously spent 27 years with McDonald’s, where she served in numerous financial roles and transitioned to operations in 2003, ultimately serving as Vice President and General Manager in the U.S. Southeast. Her energy and passion around building great teams shines as Debbie has been instrumental in creating clear career paths and leadership development for Whataburger’s 51,000+ Family Members. As a result, Whataburger was named a Top Workplace in both 2023 and 2024. She first joined Whataburger as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing restaurant strategy, operations, innovation, and HR. Debbie has helped grow Whataburger into a nationally recognized brand by paving the way in new markets – while still protecting brand culture and its wildly loyal fan base. Under Debbie’s leadership, Whataburger was recognized by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 top ten for “Best Breakfast,” “Best Fast Food Burger,” “Best Fast Food Fries,” and “Best Regional Fast Food.” Newsweek also recognized the brand, placing it 2nd in their Readers’ Choice Awards for “Best Fast Food Chain”.