John Peyton joined Dine Brands from Realogy Franchise Group where he served as president and chief executive officer. At Realogy, Mr. Peyton was responsible for managing a portfolio of leading real estate franchise brands, including Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Corcoran®, ERA, and Sotheby’s International Realty®, which combined have over 19,500 franchised offices and 318,000 brokers and independent sales associates doing business in 115 countries and territories worldwide. In January 2018, Mr. Peyton's responsibilities at Realogy were expanded to include oversight of the company-owned operations of Corcoran and Sotheby’s International Realty. Since 2017, was consecutively named to the Swanepoel 200, an annual list of the most powerful people in real estate.

Mr. Peyton, who joined Realogy as president and chief operating officer in October 2016, previously served for 17 years as a senior executive with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. He is a recognized global branding leader who brings deep experience leading large, complex organizations and maximizing scale while enabling innovation and flexibility. During his nearly two decades with Starwood, most recently serving as chief marketing officer, he leveraged his expertise in global operations and brand building to drive innovation and build loyalty for the company’s leading hotel brands, including St. Regis, W Hotels and Westin, among others.

Mr. Peyton also led Starwood’s Global Initiatives team, where he directed the implementation of key strategic company priorities around the world, including supply chain and revenue management initiatives. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Peyton served as chief operating officer of Starwood’s North America Hotel Division. In 2000, he led Starwood’s launch of Six Sigma – becoming the first company in the hospitality industry to adopt this methodology as a way of improving business processes and driving innovative change. Prior to joining Starwood, he had a 10-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving in both its accounting and management consulting practices.

Mr. Peyton holds an MBA in accounting and marketing from New York University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is active in the community and is a member of the board of directors for Child Advocates of Southern Connecticut.

Mr. Chang has served as the Chief Financial Officer for Dine Brands since June 2021. Prior to joining Dine Brands, Mr. Chang served as the Chief Financial Officer for Exer Urgent Care. Before that, Mr. Chang was the Chief Financial Officer at YOGAWORKS. Mr. Chang has also held positions at Pressed Juicery, Moelis & Company, Oracle and Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Chang received a degree in accounting from the University of Washington and an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Patrick Kirk assumed the role of President and Chief Marketing Officer at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in October 2024. Reporting directly to Dine Brands CEO, Patrick is responsible for reinvigorating the brand through strategic direction across all business facets, including operations, overseeing marketing initiatives, and spearheading culinary and beverage innovations. In this expanded role, he guides future growth and manages all organizational aspects.

Patrick joined Fuzzy’s Taco Shop as Chief Marketing Officer in April 2024 and immediately began redefining the guest experience. He has demonstrated his ability to create strategic platforms and forge strong brand and franchisee partnerships, focusing on delivering buzzworthy and enjoyable guest experiences.

With over 23 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Patrick is a seasoned professional known for his dynamic leadership. Before joining Fuzzy’s, he served as Vice President of Bar and Beverage at Applebee’s for more than eight years. During his tenure, he disrupted the casual dining industry with innovative marketing programs, growing Applebee’s beverage department into a $1 billion business and playing a key role in Applebee’s historic turnaround in 2018.

Patrick’s career began at Tony Roma’s in Dallas, where he joined the marketing team. He later moved to Minneapolis to work with Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) as their Director of Beverage Innovation. At BWW, Patrick achieved several notable accomplishments, including expanding the Beer of the Month program and introducing innovative beverage initiatives that led to significant growth in sales and cost savings.

Patrick graduated with honors from the University of Illinois. He and his high school sweetheart, Marcia, reside in Minneapolis. He enjoys coaching and watching their three children play sports year-round.

William Urrego holds the position of Senior Vice President International, previously, William held the position of Vice-President of Operations for The Americas Region, for Dine Brands Global, having joined the company in January 2014. William is the primary liaison to international franchisees for both Applebee's and IHOP internationally, providing consultative oversight of franchise business development and operations to ensure achievement of business and operational goals and objectives. He assists franchisees in developing and implementing strategic plans that contribute to their profitability, sales, and guest-satisfaction goals.

William has more than 39 years of experience in the restaurant industry, with an emphasis in The Americas. He brings extensive knowledge and experience in restaurant operations, training, culinary, marketing and site selection. William previously held positions of increasing responsibility with Brinker International, culminating as VP, Operations and Global Business Development for the Americas Region.

William has a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Houston. There, William met his wife Ligia of 20 years and has two wonderful children, David Nicholas (26) and Natalie Christina (25) both graduates from college from University of Oklahoma and Hofstra University in New York respectively.

William enjoys traveling, spending time with his family and serving neighbors at The Storehouse Community Center in Plano, Texas, a Non-Profit Organization focusing on feeding, clothing, and serving those in need. William is also an ESL instructor teaching English on the weekends. William joined The Storehouse Board of Directors in May 2022.

Lawrence Kim started as IHOP’s Brand President in January 2025. Reporting directly to the Dine Brands CEO, Lawrence is responsible for supporting IHOP’s long-term growth and the overall strategic direction for all functional areas, including marketing, operations, technology, culinary, and development.

With more than 20 years of experience working for some of the world’s most influential brands, Lawrence is an innovation-focused leader with a proven ability to create disruptive growth. Lawrence brings deep industry knowledge and a fresh perspective to IHOP. In his role, he will work to drive cultural relevance for the IHOP brand and operational ease for the restaurants, focusing on IHOP’s iconic craveable products, joyful customer service, and passionate team members to build future growth for the brand and franchisees.

Prior to joining IHOP, Lawrence held multiple leadership positions at YUM! Brands (parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill), a highly franchised business that operates in over 155 countries, including Chief Innovation Officer and VP of Global Brand Strategy for Taco Bell. He also worked in brand management across different industries at Procter & Gamble and Samsung Electronics.

Lawrence earned his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and his Bachelor of Science from University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Southern California with his wife and two children, who are huge fans of IHOP’s world-famous buttermilk pancakes and hickory-smoked bacon.

Chris Padilla is currently the Acting CIO at Dine Brands. Chris is an accomplished executive who oversees technology and cybersecurity for Dine Brands Global and each of its lines of business enabling 3,500+ Applebee's, IHOP and Fuzzy’s Taco Shops globally. Focused on providing a leading customer experience for franchisees, above restaurant management, front and back-of-house, and diners alike; Chris’ leadership inspires his team to achieve greater heights and deliver results that exceed expectations, driving business operations and profitability through technology ease and enablement.

Chris has a track record of creating scalable products and leading successful strategic initiatives. Before joining Dine Brands, Chris worked in various technology and product roles across multiple industry-leading Fortune 500 companies such as Marriott International, Pitney Bowes, Sikorsky Aircraft, and United Technologies. Most recently, Chris served as Vice President of Product for Anywhere Real Estate, where he led ushering in major strategic digital, marketing, and lead generation products across six iconic real estate brands, 1,800 franchisees and 300,000+ real estate agents3 that unlocked increased performance, productivity, and organic growth.

Susan Nelson is SVP, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer. Ms. Nelson is responsible for all aspects of communications including brand and reputation management, internal communications, social responsibility, and public affairs.

Before joining Dine Brands Global, Ms. Nelson was Vice President of Communications for Applebee’s where she was responsible for communications, public relations, crisis and issues management, and franchisee communications. Prior to that, Ms. Nelson was Vice President of Marketing for CoreLogic, a leading provider of consumer, financial and property data, analytics, and services to business and the government. She led marketing planning and go-to-market sales strategies including research, message and creative development, value proposition, positioning, communications, and customer experience.

Prior to CoreLogic, Ms. Nelson worked for McDonald’s Corporation for more than 12 years in several senior communications leadership roles. Ms. Nelson served as a thought-partner to the C-suite and was responsible for internal communications, franchisee communications, and brand building initiatives.

Ms. Nelson earned her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Oklahoma Christian University.

Having worked at Dine Brands for more than 10 years, Christine Son has developed a reputation as being a brand-focused attorney with a keen knowledge of the restaurant business. In April 2021, Son became Senior Vice President for legal, general counsel and secretary of Dine Brands Global, based in Pasadena, CA. In addition to legal, Son oversees risk management, franchise administration, government relations and internal audit at the company. Son has a long and successful track record with Dine Brands, working with both the IHOP and Applebee’s leadership teams. Prior to her roles within Dine Brands, she previously served as a Senior Counsel for nearly two years at Roll Law Group in Los Angeles, and as an Associate for seven years with Sidley Austin.

Christie Cook is an exceptional leader experienced in developing and implementing HR programs that align with business objectives, driving organizational change initiatives, and leading talent management strategies. As VP of Human Resources for Dine Brands Global, Ms. Cook is responsible for building an effective HR function that supports Dine and its brands by maximizing its team members’ talent.

Since joining Applebee’s in 1999 and later transitioning to the Dine Brands Global team to support all brands, Ms. Cook has driven exceptional results in operations, learning & development, and human resources. Starting as an hourly restaurant team member before moving into corporate has fueled her passion for developing and nurturing talent at all levels.

Ms. Cook earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and her MS in Organizational Change Leadership from the University of Wisconsin.

As Senior Vice President of Franchise Development for Dine Brands Global – one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world and parent company of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop – Jake Barden leads the charge in expanding the company’s franchise footprint. In addition to overseeing franchise sales and development strategies, Jake focuses on fostering relationships with franchisees to drive growth and innovation across each brand’s portfolio.

Before stepping into his current role at Dine Brands Global, Jake served as Vice President of Development at IHOP, where he was instrumental in driving the brand’s expansion efforts. His extensive experience in franchise development is further highlighted by his tenure at Restaurant Brands International as an Area Franchise Lead and Franchise Business Partner, and at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts as Director of Franchise Development for the Northeast U.S.

Jake’s career in the hospitality industry spans over two decades, with significant roles at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, now Marriott International, where he worked in franchise development and owner services, and at Hilton Grand Vacations, where he honed his skills in financial planning and analysis.

Jake holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Saint Leo University, and his expertise in relationship management, finance, budgeting, and forecasting has been a cornerstone of his professional journey. He resides in New York City, NY and enjoys traveling and fishing in his free time.