Who Is the Chipotle CEO?
The Chipotle CEO is Scott Boatwright, and this is one of those facts a surprising number of sources still get wrong — including, in places, Chipotle own investor pages as search engines see them. Brian Niccol, the name most people associate with the job, left in August 2024. Here is who actually runs Chipotle, how he got there, and what changed at the top alongside him.
Scott Boatwright is the Chipotle CEO. He became interim chief executive in August 2024 and permanent CEO and a director on 11 November 2024. He is not Chairman — Chipotle separated those roles, and Scott Maw is independent Chairman. Brian Niccol left on 31 August 2024 to lead Starbucks.
- Scott Boatwright is CEO, permanent since 11 November 2024.
- He is not Chairman — Scott Maw holds that separately.
- Brian Niccol left 31 August 2024 for Starbucks.
- Boatwright joined Chipotle in May 2017, latterly as COO.
- 18 years at Arby’s before that, finishing as SVP of Operations.
- Comps turned positive in the first two quarters of 2026.
Who He Is
Scott Boatwright has been Chipotle chief executive since November 2024, and he came up through operations rather than marketing — which is unusual for the role and tells you something about what Chipotle was trying to fix.
- Joined Chipotle in May 2017, during the recovery from the food safety crisis.
- Served as Chief Restaurant Officer, then Chief Operating Officer, with direct accountability for all restaurant operations.
- Before Chipotle, 18 years at Arby’s Restaurant Group, the last six as senior vice president of operations, responsible for more than 1,700 restaurants.
- Holds an MBA from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
- Previously served on the board of Academy Sports and Outdoors, and sits on the National Restaurant Association Fast Casual Industry Council.
How He Got the Job
The sequence was quick, and it is worth laying out because the dates are what resolve the confusion online.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 12 August 2024 | Niccol notifies Chipotle he is leaving; Boatwright named interim CEO |
| 31 August 2024 | Niccol departure takes effect |
| 11 November 2024 | Boatwright appointed permanent CEO and a director |
| October 2026 | Still CEO; quoted as such in the Q2 2026 earnings release |
On performance since: comparable sales fell 1.7 percent across 2025, then turned positive — up 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and up 2.2 percent in the second, which Chipotle called its second consecutive quarter of improving transaction growth. It raised full-year guidance in July 2026. Our customer sentiment guide puts those numbers alongside the satisfaction data.
Why He Is Not Chairman
Under Brian Niccol the two roles were combined — he was chairman and chief executive. When he left, Chipotle board split them, appointing the then-lead independent director Scott Maw as chairman with immediate effect on 12 August 2024.
Maw remains independent chairman, reconfirmed in Chipotle 2026 proxy statement, which describes the board leadership structure as consisting of an independent chairman. So the correct way to state it is: Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer; Scott Maw, independent Chairman of the Board.
Chipotle board expanded to eleven directors in September 2026, with Sabir Sami — formerly chief executive of the KFC division at Yum! Brands — elected as an independent director.
What Happened to Brian Niccol
Niccol was Chipotle chief executive from March 2018 and chairman from March 2020. On 12 August 2024 he notified the company he would leave on 31 August 2024, and he went to Starbucks as chairman and chief executive.
The Rest of the Leadership
From Chipotle 2026 proxy statement and subsequent filings:
- Curt Garner — President, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer
- Jason Kidd — Chief Operating Officer, since May 2025, previously chief operating officer of Taco Bell
- Adam Rymer — Chief Financial Officer, since October 2024
- Ilene Eskenazi — Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer
- Laurie Schalow — Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer
- Fernando Machado — Chief Brand Officer, from 1 June 2026
- Arlie Sisson — Chief Digital Officer, from 4 May 2026
- Nate Lawton — Chief Business Development Officer, who leads the international expansion
January 2026 saw a round of changes, with Chris Brandt and Roger Theodoredis transitioning out as executive officers and Eskenazi taking on the combined legal and human resources role.
Ownership and the shareholder picture are on our who owns Chipotle guide, the company timeline on our history guide, and the broader company picture on our about Chipotle hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the CEO of Chipotle?
Scott Boatwright. He was named interim chief executive on 12 August 2024 and appointed permanent CEO and a member of the board effective 11 November 2024. He remains in the role as of October 2026, quoted as chief executive in Chipotle second-quarter 2026 earnings release.
Is Brian Niccol still the Chipotle CEO?
No. Niccol was Chipotle CEO from March 2018 and chairman from March 2020, and he notified the company on 12 August 2024 that he would leave on 31 August 2024 to become chairman and chief executive of Starbucks. A lot of pages, including some cached corporate ones, still list him in the role.
What did Scott Boatwright do before becoming CEO?
He joined Chipotle in May 2017 and served as Chief Restaurant Officer and then Chief Operating Officer, with direct accountability for all restaurant operations. Before Chipotle he spent 18 years at Arby’s Restaurant Group, the last six as senior vice president of operations, responsible for more than 1,700 restaurants.
Is the Chipotle CEO also the chairman?
No. When Brian Niccol stepped down in August 2024 the board separated the chairman and chief executive roles and appointed the then-lead independent director, Scott Maw, as chairman. Maw remains independent chairman, confirmed in Chipotle 2026 proxy statement.
How much does the Chipotle CEO get paid?
Executive compensation is disclosed each year in Chipotle proxy statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is the only reliable source for current figures. Because the structure combines salary, bonus and equity awards that vest over time, headline totals quoted elsewhere often mix different measures.
Who else is in Chipotle senior leadership?
As of the 2026 proxy: Curt Garner as President and Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, Jason Kidd as Chief Operating Officer, Adam Rymer as Chief Financial Officer, Ilene Eskenazi as Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer, and Laurie Schalow as Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer. Fernando Machado became Chief Brand Officer in June 2026.
Methodology
Company figures, leadership, ownership, restaurant counts and historical detail on this page are taken from Chipotle filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, from Chipotle company press releases and from chipotle.com, all checked in October 2026. Where a figure is derived from Chipotle own store directory rather than published by the company, this page says so. Where Chipotle does not publish something, that is stated rather than filled in from third-party sources. Company data changes with each quarterly report; confirm current figures in Chipotle latest filing.
