MAJOR HIRE: Jersey Mike’s Taps World’s Largest Franchise HR Exec, Betsy Mercado, as First Chief People Officer to Lead Global Expansion.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
RIDGEWOOD, NJ – Jersey Mike’s Subs is prioritizing its famous “people-first” philosophy as it accelerates national and global expansion. The popular sandwich chain, headquartered in New Jersey, has announced the appointment of Betsy Mercado as the company’s first-ever Chief People Officer (CPO), effective immediately.
Mercado steps into this crucial new role to oversee the comprehensive people strategies that will sustain and strengthen Jersey Mike’s distinctive culture during its period of rapid growth.
A Focus on Culture, Growth, and Team Member Experience
As CPO, Mercado will manage a wide scope of responsibilities, all centered on building high-performance teams and enhancing organizational capability:
- Leadership Development: Nurturing the next generation of leadership across the franchise.
- Team Member Experience: Improving the overall satisfaction and engagement of employees.
- Compliance & Strategy: Ensuring best-in-class HR technology, total rewards, and regulatory compliance.
“Betsy brings an exceptional combination of franchise expertise, strategic vision and a genuine passion for developing people,” said Charlie Morrison, CEO of Jersey Mike’s. “Her leadership will be instrumental in strengthening and supporting our team members and ensuring we preserve the authentic Jersey Mike’s culture as we scale nationally and globally.”
Mercado Brings World-Class Franchise HR Expertise
Mercado’s background makes her the ideal leader for this challenge. She brings over 20 years of human resources experience specifically within the demanding restaurant and franchise industries.
Most recently, Mercado served as CPO at the Flynn Group, recognized as the world’s largest franchise operator. There, she was responsible for HR operations supporting more than 2,700 restaurants and fitness clubs nationwide, overseeing a 100-member HR team and leading strategies that spanned talent acquisition, culture, and technology. Prior to that, she held a key leadership role as Vice President of Human Resources for The Palm Restaurants.
“I’m energized to build on that legacy, strengthening the foundation already in place while shaping the future of people development at the company,” said Mercado. “My goal is to enhance an environment where every team member can grow, contribute meaningfully and take pride in being a part of the Jersey Mike’s story.”
The creation of the Chief People Officer role signals Jersey Mike’s commitment to internal infrastructure, ensuring that its celebrated team culture remains a priority as the brand cements its position as a global leader in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) space.
Gusto is a payroll and HR software that helps you pay your team, file taxes, offer benefits, and more. See how Gusto compares to other providers, get a free trial, and learn how to switch to Gusto in minutes.
https://gusto.com/i/james3539
The first step in MBA-ification
Eat them while they are still good………………………
Expect “improvements” to follow
Sandwiches are fine…but quite pricey.
All the buzzwords are there.
But has she ever RUN a restaurant?
peter cancro sold jersey mikes last year to blackstone for $8bn
from the original owner with passion for his business including a full day of giving to a corp giant in it for just profits and expansion…this business is destine to decline
Overly processed, high-sodium, fat-rich, carb-centric meals. Careful people.
I hate corporate food.
Highly processed salty too many ingredients and high priced.
Food quality is going down. More chains small business care more about their own profit than providing a high quality product.