# Paul Brown

> Paul J. Brown is the Atlanta-based co-founder and CEO of Inspire Brands. After leadership roles in consulting, online travel and hospitality, he became Arby’s CEO in 2013 and helped clarify its positioning through employee listening, menu development, advertising and restaurant remodels. He co-founded Inspire with Neal Aronson in 2018 and led acquisitions including SONIC, Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’ Brands.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Inspire Brands
- **Organizations:** Inspire Brands, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Hilton Worldwide, Expedia, McKinsey & Company, InterContinental Hotels Group, Boston Consulting Group, Andersen Consulting, Georgia Tech Foundation, Metro Atlanta Chamber
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, Master of Business Administration, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Master of Engineering Management, Northwestern University, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
- **Known for:** Helped lead Arby’s brand renewal through menu variety, the We Have the Meats campaign and restaurant remodels., Arby’s reported 3.8% U.S. same-store sales growth in 2016 and returned to net restaurant growth that year., Named Restaurant Business’s 2017 Restaurant Leader of the Year.

## Career timeline

- **1989** — Graduated from Georgia Tech with a management degree.
- **2001–2005** — Partner at McKinsey & Company, with work in London and Atlanta.
- **2005** — Joined Expedia after being recruited by Barry Diller; subsequently led Expedia.com and the Partner Services Group.
- **2008–2013** — President of Brands and Commercial Services at Hilton Worldwide.
- **2013** — Started as Arby’s CEO on May 13.
- **2018** — Co-founded Inspire Brands with Neal Aronson following the Buffalo Wild Wings acquisition in February; SONIC joined in December.
- **2019** — Inspire completed the acquisition of Jimmy John’s on October 18.
- **2020** — Inspire completed its $11.3 billion acquisition of Dunkin’ Brands on December 15.

## Achievements

- Helped lead Arby’s brand renewal through menu variety, the We Have the Meats campaign and restaurant remodels.
- Arby’s reported 3.8% U.S. same-store sales growth in 2016 and returned to net restaurant growth that year.
- Named Restaurant Business’s 2017 Restaurant Leader of the Year.
- Co-founded Inspire Brands and led its expansion through major restaurant acquisitions.
- Inspire’s brands generated $33.4 billion in global system sales in 2025; the official leadership page lists more than 33,400 restaurants.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Inspire reported that its 2026 internship class included 90 interns from 42 schools. A participant recalled Brown advising interns to focus on solving problems rather than merely gathering data.
- **2025-12** — Inspire’s year-end review included Brown’s reflection on team members’ and franchisees’ work and his expectations for the company’s eighth year.
- **2025-09** — Appeared on How Leaders Lead with David Novak in an episode published September 25, discussing brand renewal, shared capabilities and seeking contrary perspectives.

## Links

- Website: https://inspirebrands.com/about-us/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brownpaulj

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/paul-brown
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22