Kelli Valade on corporate strategy
From Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny's, on leading America's favorite restaurant for families! · · LegendsNLeaders
“I get most excited now about the chance to continue to invest in the brands without necessarily the quarterly recap; it will allow us to be able to make those investments and the partner we have, the new owners, are in lock step with us on these things that will really help us to create the massive turnaround and stabilization that we've been needing.”
On , Kelli Valade, Chief Executive Officer & Director at DENNYS CORP, spoke about corporate strategy during Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny's, on leading America's favorite restaurant for families! on LegendsNLeaders.
About Kelli Valade
Kelli Valade, president and CEO of the Women's Foodservice Forum, appeared on two podcast episodes in early 2026. In the episodes, she discussed her career trajectory, which began with a job at Big Boy at age 16, and her subsequent leadership roles at brands including Chili's and Denny's. Valade stated that the restaurant industry can teach accountability skills to young people and that it offers a path for advancement. She also recounted an instance where she acknowledged being wrong about a decision, telling the CFO, "Where's my $10 million?" after realizing her approach was "textbook by the book correct" but "in reality, I was wrong." Valade also spoke about the importance of investing in people early in their careers and helping them see what is possible. She noted that many hospitality CEOs share similar origin stories of starting in entry-level restaurant jobs. Valade described her interest in human resources as stemming from a fascination with how people shape culture and align toward common goals, rather than from a primary focus on liking people.