Peggy Rubenzer

Senior Human Resources and Training Professional with 20+ years of experience in People Leadership roles within the multi-unit, fast-paced, high-growth service industry. Leadership experience includes working for great companies and brands that include Southwest Airlines, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc., Union Square Hospitality Group (Shake Shack ), and now Whataburger! Regional Employment Manager for Southwest Airlines' MidWest Regional Employment and People Department Office. Responsible for the hiring and selection of a 15-State Region encompassing all positions (Pilots, Mechanics, Flight Attendants, Ground Crews, Customer Service Agents, Reservations Agents and Management). 1989 - 1998 Executive VP of People, The Nexus Group, Inc. Responsible for the entire HR function for a 44-unit furniture retailer. 1999 - 2002 Vice President of People Services for P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. leading the organization's people function from 2002 through 2007 supporting 300 restaurant locations (P.F. Chang's and Pei Wei Asian Diner) and advocating for 28,000 employees. Vice President of Training and Development for P.F. Chang's China Bistro from 2007 - 2011 leading the transformation of its Training and Development functions, and all product launches and procedural change management efforts throughout the P.F. Chang's operations. 2002 - 2011 Peggy joined Danny Meyer's NYC-based Union Square Hospitality Group to lead all Culture and People-related functions for Shake Shack Enterprises from 2011 -2019. Peggy joined True Food Kitchen in 2019 as their Chief People Officer through April 2022. She left True Food to accept her current role as Chief People Officer for Whataburger, the San Antonio-based 1,000 location burger chain with a fiercely loyal customer following throughout the South. She is currently supporting and building the entire HR, Training and Development function to ensure sustainability of their unique culture and remarkable record of success and popularity. Specialties: Talent Selection, Hiring, Recruiting, Facilitation Expert, Training Program Development, Employee Relations, Catastrophic Funds, Immigration, Benefits and Comp, Curriculum Development, New Product Launch and Implementation, Leadership Development, Hourly and Management Training architect, Culture Building.