Friendly Ice Cream Corporation announced today that Andrea M. McKenna, an executive with extensive experience at leading restaurant and retail companies and advertising agencies, has joined the company as Vice President of Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer.
McKenna comes to Friendly's following eight years with The Talbots, Inc., a Massachusetts-based retailer of classic women's, children's, and men's apparel, where she served as the senior vice president of marketing. McKenna's innovative use of integrated marketing and social communities drove sales throughout the company's 1,000+ retail stores, catalogs and website.
McKenna's restaurant experience includes nine years as director of advertising and sales promotion at Dunkin Donuts, Inc., where she led the coffee and baked goods chain's repositioning and new advertising campaigns.
Her additional professional experience includes serving as senior vice president/group media director at Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc., and vice president at Arnold & Company (now Arnold Worldwide), where she managed media services for brands including McDonald's and The Seven-Up Bottling Company. McKenna also was the vice president of marketing and advertising for Hoyts Cinemas Corporation.
"As we have just celebrated our company's 75th anniversary, we have reflected on the key elements that have supported the longevity of this brand. With Andrea's timely arrival, we are focused on building on the brand's foundations as we create the Friendly's of the future," said company President and CEO Ned R. Lidvall. "Andrea's vision and track record of developing successful integrated programs will be critical to shaping our direction. Her diverse experience working in hospitality, retail and within advertising agencies provides her with tremendously valuable insights into opportunities for our business. I look forward to working with her as we continue to shape the future for our brand."
McKenna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The College of the Holy Cross, and studied at the Harvard Business School and the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. She resides in Milton, Mass., and will be relocating to the Wilbraham, Mass. area.
About Friendly Ice Cream Corporation
Friendly Ice Cream Corporation is a vertically integrated restaurant company serving signature sandwiches, entrees and ice cream desserts in a friendly, family environment in more than 500 company and franchised restaurants throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. The company also manufactures ice cream, which is distributed through more than 4,000 supermarkets and other retail locations. With a 75-year operating history, Friendly's enjoys strong brand recognition and is currently revitalizing its restaurants and introducing new products to grow its customer base. For additional information please visit www.friendlys.com.
Contacts:
Friendly's Restaurants
Maura Tobias, 413-731-4238
Maura.Tobias@Friendlys.com