George Felix
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at EAT
Executive
About George Felix
George S. Felix, age 45, is Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Brinker International (EAT), appointed July 2022, with prior CMO leadership at Tinder and Pizza Hut and brand roles at KFC U.S. and KFC Global . During his tenure, Brinker delivered exceptional shareholder performance: fiscal 2025 net income per diluted share grew 145% YoY, stock price rose 143%, and the fiscal 2023–2025 TSR reached 650% (top of the S&P 1500 Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure cohort), while Adjusted EBITDA for FY2025 was $788.5 million, driving a 200% payout on the 2023–2025 performance share plan . Operationally, FY2025 revenue was $5,384.2 million versus a $4,607.7 million target, and Adjusted PBT far exceeded the maximum bracket, reflecting strong execution across Team Members, Food & Drink, Hospitality and Atmosphere . Felix was recognized as Ad Age’s CMO of the Year in 2025, with Chili’s named Brand of the Year, underscoring his marketing impact .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brinker International | SVP & Chief Marketing Officer | Jul 2022–Present | Leads global brand vision, strategy, marketing operations for Chili’s/Maggiano’s; marketing investments contributed to outsized revenue and profit growth . |
| Tinder (Match Group) | Chief Marketing Officer | Apr 2021–May 2022 | Drove global brand strategy and marketing operations for a leading consumer app . |
| Pizza Hut U.S. (Yum! Brands) | Chief Marketing Officer | Jan 2020–Mar 2021 | Led U.S. brand strategy, advertising, media, merchandising, PR . |
| KFC Global (Yum! Brands) | Director of Marketing | Jul 2018–Jan 2020 | Directed global brand marketing initiatives . |
| KFC U.S. (Yum! Brands) | Director of Brand Communications | May 2015–Jun 2018 | Managed brand communications, contributing to U.S. brand performance . |
External Roles
No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed in EAT’s proxy executive officer bios .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | 439,381 | 461,372 |
| Target Bonus (% of Salary) | 55% | 65% (increased from 55%) |
| Actual Bonus Paid ($) | 430,782 | 599,784 |
| Stock Awards (Grant-date Fair Value, $) | 574,973 | 2,599,828 (includes annual RSUs/PSUs; retention PS plan also granted in FY2025) |
| Sign-on/Retention Cash Bonuses ($) | 100,000 sign-on installment paid in FY2024 | — |
Notes:
- FY2026 adjustments approved post-FY25: Felix’s base salary +16.1%, target annual equity award +8.3% (bonus target unchanged vs FY25 in table) .
- Perquisites (FY2025): $37,772 total, including 401(k) match $13,682, car allowance $8,400, insurance premiums $9,894, other $5,796 .
Performance Compensation
Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP) – FY2025 Design and Outcomes
| Metric | Weight | Minimum | Target | Maximum | Actual | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted PBT ($000s) | 60% | 207,709 | 244,363 | 281,017 | 536,367 | 200% |
| Revenue ($000s) | 40% | 4,377,315 | 4,607,700 | 4,838,085 | 5,384,200 | 200% |
| Resulting Bonus Payout (% of Target) | — | — | — | — | — | 200% |
FY2024 STIP payout was 178.26% of target (Profits 200%, Revenue KPI 145.65%) .
Long-Term Incentives – Grants and Structures (Felix)
| Award Type | Grant Date | Target/Units | Max Units | Grant-date Fair Value ($) | Vesting/Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual RSUs | 8/29/2024 | 3,418 units | — | 239,944 | Time-vest RSUs; 1/3 on each 1st–3rd anniversary of grant . |
| Annual PSUs (FY2025–FY2027) | 8/29/2024 | 4,727 units | 9,454 | 359,961 | Earn-out based on FY2027 Adjusted EBITDA with TSR modifier; 0–200% payout . |
| Performance Share Retention Plan (TSR-based, 5-year) | 11/06/2024 | 19,876 units (target) | 39,752 | 1,999,923 | Earn-out Sep 26, 2024–Sep 25, 2029, relative TSR vs S&P 1500 Hotels/Restaurants/Leisure; 0–200% payout; not eligible for accelerated vesting on qualifying retirement . |
FY2024 annual awards (for context): RSUs 7,027 units ($229,994), PSUs 9,865 target units ($344,979) .
PSU Performance Targets and Results
| Plan | Minimum Adjusted EBITDA | Target Adjusted EBITDA | Maximum Adjusted EBITDA | TSR Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025–FY2027 PSUs | $460.5M | $541.8M | $623.1M | ±25% if TSR ≥75th or ≤25th percentile; capped at 200% . |
| FY2023–FY2025 PSUs (paid Aug 2025) | — | $405.0M target set in FY2023 | $506.25M maximum | Modifier didn’t apply (max achieved); 200% payout . |
| FY2023–FY2025 Actuals | — | — | — | Adjusted EBITDA $788.5M; TSR 650% (top of cohort) . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Beneficial Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 2024 | 23,596 | <1% |
| Sep 22, 2025 | 18,495 | <1% |
- Options exercisable within 60 days: none for Felix in ownership tables .
- Insider trading policy prohibits hedging and pledging of company stock; placing shares in margin accounts is prohibited .
- Stock ownership guidelines: SVP level requires 2x base salary; external hires have 6 years to comply; officers either compliant or within allowed timeframe .
Unvested/Unearned Equity (FY2025 Year-End)
| Grant | Type | Units Unvested/Unearned | Value Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29/2024 | RSUs | 3,418 (unvested) | Valued at $176.67/share for FY2025 table . |
| 8/31/2023 | RSUs | 4,685 (unvested) | Cliff/time vest per grant footnotes . |
| 9/8/2022 | RSUs (make-whole and annual) | 6,685 + 7,037 | Footnote indicates make-whole cliff vest after 3 years . |
| PSUs (FY2025–FY2027) | Performance shares | 9,454 target/max shown separately | Valued at FY2025 price; payout dependent on FY2027 results . |
| PSUs (FY2024–FY2026) | Performance shares | 19,730 | Tracking above target per FY2024 table methodology . |
| Retention PS Plan (FY2025–FY2029) | Performance shares | 39,752 (max) | TSR-based earn-out through Sep 25, 2029 . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | July 2022; SVP & CMO . |
| Contract term | No fixed-term employment agreement disclosed for Felix; company avoids fixed-term exec agreements . |
| Severance (non-CIC) | No specific cash severance for Felix; equity pro-rata vesting rules apply upon certain terminations (RSUs pro-rata; PSUs pro-rata) . |
| Change-in-control | Double-trigger provisions: RSUs fully vest if terminated without cause/for good reason within 24 months post-CIC or if awards are not assumed; PSUs earn based on performance through CIC date; retention plan describes treatment under CIC consistent with plan terms; no single-trigger full vesting . |
| Clawback | Company-wide clawback policy per Rule 10D-1, plus misconduct/restatement recoupment language in incentive plans . |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | Not specifically disclosed for Felix (general policy elements referenced elsewhere; Ms. White had a non-compete-related RSU grant in 2024) . |
| Deferred compensation | Felix did not participate in the Deferred Plan in FY2024–FY2025 . |
Investment Implications
- Strong pay-for-performance alignment: Felix’s 2025 bonus doubled to 200% on outsized Adjusted PBT and revenue beats, and long-term equity is heavily performance-based (PSUs at 60% of annual equity; 5-year TSR retention plan) supporting sustained value creation while limiting guaranteed pay .
- Retention risk mitigated: The one-time 5-year TSR retention grant (target $2M) creates significant vesting overhang to 2029, reducing poaching risk; non-accelerated vesting on retirement further binds tenure, but full CIC equity payouts on termination could crystallize value in change-of-control scenarios .
- Selling pressure windows: RSUs granted 8/29/2024 vest in equal thirds on each anniversary (2025–2027), with typical tax-withholding dispositions; PSU settlements occur post-performance certification (FY2027), and retention PS settles in late 2029, creating periodic vest-release events to monitor for Form 4 activity .
- Governance safeguards: Hedging/pledging prohibitions, robust clawback, and double-trigger CIC terms reduce misalignment risks; lack of individual cash severance for Felix limits “golden parachute” exposure .
- Ownership alignment: Beneficial ownership is <1% but supported by substantial unvested/unearned equity and SVP-level stock ownership guidelines (2x salary; 6-year compliance window), implying increasing skin-in-the-game over time .