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George Felix

Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Chili's Grill & Bar, BRINKER INTL INC

Search every verified George Felix interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. George Felix, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Chili's Grill & Bar at Brinker International, has been involved in the company's recent marketing and operational strategy. In September 2023, Brinker International CEO Kevin Hochman discussed the company's turnaround, noting that the company planned to reinvest $55 to $60 million in advertising in fiscal year 2024 to drive traffic. Hochman described the company's pricing approach as a "barbell strategy," offering items such as a $10.99 complete meal and a $6 Margarita of the month to appeal to different spending levels Mend. He stated that getting back on television allowed Chili's to reach younger guests with these value messages. Hochman also outlined the company's approach to improving operations by listening to restaurant teams and deploying their ideas quarterly. He said that the company's focus on improving guest experience, growing restaurant operating margins, and managing costs was key to building a stronger business and keeping activist investors at bay. Felix, as chief marketing officer, would be responsible for executing the advertising and value messaging strategies described by Hochman.

Recent appearances

  • How Chili’s became one of the greatest turnaround success stories in America - George Felix

    June 03, 2026 · 📺 Uncensored CMO

    George Felix, CMO of Chili’s, joins us to tell the story behind one of the most impressive brand turnarounds of recent years. From iconic menu items like chips and salsa and the famous margarita to viral social media moments and creative partnerships, George explains how Chili’s became culturally relevant again and reignited growth. Before Chili’s, George played a key role in the legendary Old Spice turnaround, and in this episode he shares the lessons he's learned from transforming legacy brands. We discuss the power of nostalgia, making the most of your agency relationships, influencing pro…

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  • CMOs on Planning for Effective Marketing Outcomes, Ep 1

    April 05, 2026 · 📺 ON Strategy Showcase

    Colin Kavanagh, CMO at Pernod Ricard, Adam McCraw, Global Head of Prime Marketing at Amazon and George Felix, EVP CMO at Brinker International discuss how they get to defining their objectives, challenges, strategies and audience insights. And who writes the client brief. Thanks to the Effies and to Tracksuit for supporting this 6 part 2026 effectiveness series.

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  • George Felix - CMO at Chili’s Grill & Bar

    November 12, 2025 · 📺 The Courageous Podcast

    George Felix knows how to make legacy brands feel unapologetically modern. As Chief Marketing Officer at Chili’s, and former marketing leader at Pizza Hut and KFC, he’s built a career on bold ideas that spark conversation—without losing sight of what makes a brand iconic.  In this conversation with Ryan and Billy Collins, George shares how Chili’s is embracing its irreverent voice while staying rooted in what people love about the brand. He explains how the best marketing blends gut instinct with creative testing, why a winning campaign starts with internal alignment, and how the best insights…

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  • George Felix (Chili's Grill & Bar) | The Playbook for Becoming Brand of the Year

    November 05, 2025 · 📺 The CMO Podcast

    From Old Spice to KFC to Chili’s, George Felix has built a reputation as the ultimate turnaround CMO. Hear his playbook for brand reinvention. 👉 Subscribe for more leadership insights! Who doesn’t remember the Chili’s jingle—“I want my baby back, baby back, baby back…”? Or maybe you’ve seen the viral TikToks about Chili’s Triple Dipper. Chili’s is back in culture in a big way, and much of that credit goes to their Chief Marketing Officer, George Felix. George is one of today’s most dynamic marketing leaders. He started his career at P&G—where, like me, he worked on the legendary Old Spice…

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  • How Chili’s Took on McDonald’s — And Won the Value War |

    May 12, 2025 · 📺 Restaurant Leadership Conference

    In this interview at RLC, Restaurant Business' Jonathan Maze, sits down with George Felix, Chief Marketing Officer of Chili’s Grill & Bar, for an in-depth conversation about how Chili’s redefined value in the restaurant industry and boldly positioned itself against fast food giants like McDonald’s. Felix shares how Chili’s launched the “Three for Me” value platform, what sparked their viral “Big Smasher” burger move, and how strategic brand positioning, craveable food, and cultural timing helped Chili’s become a trending topic online.

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  • Marketing Today with Alan Hart - George Felix of YUM! Brands for KFC

    November 17, 2017 · 📺 Marketing Today with Alan Hart

    The North American Effie Awards and ATOMCK have teamed up to present a special interview series featuring winners from the 2017 competition. Alan Hart, managing partner at ATOMCK and host of “Marketing Today,” sat down with these marketers to discuss insights from their Effie-winning work. In this week’s 2017 Winner Spotlight, Hart spoke with George Felix, director of brand communications at KFC, to discuss KFC’s “The Return of Colonel Sanders” campaign, created in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy. Colonel Sanders was at the forefront of KFC’s advertising when the brand was its best. After hi…

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →