BETHESDA, Md., U.S. – HMSHost, global restaurateur and leader in travel dining in airports and motorways, appointed industry veteran Joe Thornton as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he will oversee HMSHost operations of more than 1,700 food and beverage locations in North America, as well as Culinary, Supply Chain, and Marketing & Communications.
“I am excited for Joe to join the HMSHost executive team as our new COO,” said HMSHost President & CEO Steve Johnson.
“He brings decades of leadership experience and a deep understanding of food and beverage that will further HMSHost’s position as innovators in the dining industry, and be an invaluable asset for our strategic initiatives. Together, we’ll optimize our success in the rapidly evolving world of travel dining.”
“I am both humbled and thrilled to join HMSHost’s leadership and look forward to working with an exceptional and talented team of operators to serve our guests. HMSHost is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory and I am honored to help guide its success during this important time, “said HMSHost Executive Vice President & COO Joe Thornton.
Joe is an experienced operations leader who brings a demonstrated record of achieving results. Most recently, Joe was Chief Operating Officer at Jamba Juice where he led all field and headquarter functions related to operations, operations services, and training, as well as supporting franchise owners across the country.
Prior to Jamba Juice, Joe was with Starbucks Coffee Company for 11 years including as Senior Vice President, where he led the operation of 2,400 company-operated stores and 40,000 employees.
Joe is actively involved in diversity work and is a keynote speaker on the topic of leadership in the community. He is also a published author, his first book, “The Power Of Or”, was released in February 2020.
