CALABASAS HILLS, CALIF. — The Cheesecake Factory Inc.’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, W. Douglas Benn, will retire from the company on July 7. He will be succeeded by Matthew Clark, who brings over 11 years of experience with the company, most recently serving as senior vice president, finance and strategy.
In his current role, Clark has overseen the strategy, planning, treasury and risk management functions at The Cheesecake Factory. He also supported investor relations as well as corporate governance during his tenure, and most recently led the company’s minority investment in two external, high-growth restaurant brands. Earlier in his career, he held a number of finance positions of increasing responsibility at Groupe Danone, Kinko’s and The Walt Disney Company.
Benn is a veteran of the restaurant industry having spent more than 25 years in management roles with restaurant companies. He joined The Cheesecake Factory as CFO in 2009 and helped grow the company to over $2 billion in annual revenues while adjusted earnings per share more than tripled. Benn also contributed to the achievement of several milestones, including the company’s international expansion. Prior to joining The Cheesecake Factory, he served as executive vice president and CFO of RARE Hospitality International, which owned LongHorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille preceding that company’s sale to Darden Restaurants, Inc.
The Cheesecake Factory, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates 208 full-service, casual dining restaurants throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including 194 restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory mark; 13 restaurants under the Grand Lux Cafe mark; and one restaurant under the Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark. Internationally, 16 The Cheesecake Factory restaurants operate under licensing agreements.