Restaurants
10 Taco Bell operations leaders
These ten people hold or have held operations leadership roles at Taco Bell, from chief operating officer and operations vice presidents to directors of operations. A reader can learn how operations leaders build and run their teams in restaurant companies.
Professionals to explore
01—10Andrew Hernandez
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations · Taco Bell
Former Director of Operations at Taco Bell from 2006 to 2023, based in the Greater Sacramento area. The profile describes more than 16 years at Taco Bell in that role and an approach centered on finance and operations, ensuring efficiency and business growth, with a focus on strategic planning and operational excellence.
Caroline van der Linden
LinkedInExperience: Director of Restaurant Evolution, Tech-Ops Strategy · Taco Bell
Director of Restaurant Evolution, Tech-Ops Strategy at Taco Bell since February 2025. The profile describes an operations leader shaping strategy, leading functional AOP planning and driving cross-functional execution. Other Taco Bell rows listed are former Restaurant Evolution Scaling & Strategy (2024–2025) and Global Brand Standards roles (2020–2024).
David Perez
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations, Taco Bell LA&C · Taco Bell
Director of Operations, Taco Bell LA&C at Taco Bell since January 2026; the profile headline describes the role as covering Taco Bell Latin America & Caribbean. Former Sr. Manager, Global Operating Systems at Taco Bell International (2024–2026), Manager, Global Operating Systems (2021–2024) and Manager, Food Operations (2019–2021) at Taco Bell.
Jini Foust
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Company Operations · Taco Bell
Former Vice President of Company Operations at Taco Bell (2012–2017), former Sr. Region Leader (2004–2012) and former Director of HR and Training (2002–2004) at Taco Bell. Chief Operating Officer at Team Lyders - A Franchise of Taco Bell since 2019, and former Chief Operations Officer at Cicis Pizza (2017–2018).
Katie Buckley
LinkedInExperience: Director, Operations · Taco Bell
Director, Operations at Taco Bell since February 2025, a Director-level role in the Operations department, after serving as Sr Manager Operations at Taco Bell from 2022 to 2025. Former Senior Director, Client Insights (2022) and Director, Client Insights (2016–2022) at SMG - Service Management Group.
Meghan Simonsen
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Ops Excellence · Taco Bell
Former Vice President of Ops Excellence at Taco Bell (2022–2024) and former Senior Director of U.S. Ops Service and Restaurant Excellence (2021–2022), a role the profile describes as supporting over 7,500 Taco Bell restaurants. Former Director, Menu Readiness and Food Ops at Taco Bell (2019–2020). Chief Operating Officer at K-Mac Enterprises Inc since 2024.
Michelle Beasley
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Officer US · Taco Bell
Chief Operating Officer US at Taco Bell since December 2025 and former SVP - Operations at Taco Bell (2024–2026). Former SVP - Franchise Operations (2023–2024) and Regional Vice President of Operations (Chicagoland NW Indiana Wisconsin) (2021–2023) at Panera Bread.
Rich Longaberger
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations · Taco Bell
Director of Operations at Taco Bell since November 2018; the profile says the role leads 5 Area Coaches and 30 locations in the Cleveland and Columbus territory. Former Director of operations excellence at Taco Bell (2018–2021), and former Area Coach (2004–2018) and Restaurant General Manager (1995–2004) at Taco Bell.
Teneka Ray, MBA
LinkedInExperience: Director, OmniChannel Operations · Taco Bell
Director, OmniChannel Operations at Taco Bell since August 2022; the profile describes aligning an operations and technology strategy for omnichannel ordering and fulfillment and launching initiatives that scale across Taco Bell's restaurants. Former Director, Delivery Channel Strategy & Operations at Wingstop Restaurants Inc. (2020–2022).
Tim Bisbocci
LinkedInExperience: Vice President North America Field Operations (Franchise & Company) · Taco Bell
Former Vice President North America Field Operations (Franchise & Company) at Taco Bell (2018–2019) and former National Company Operations Leader at Taco Bell (2017–2019). Former Sr. Vice President - US Operations at Wingstop Restaurants Inc. (2021–2022) and former Vice President - U.S. Franchise Operations at Subway (2020–2021). President of TacoBocci, a Franchisee of Taco Bell, since 2022.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's scope to your question: brand-wide operations executives suit questions about standards and field structure, while directors of operations for a territory or channel suit questions about running restaurants day to day. Check whether each Taco Bell role is current or past before asking about recent practice.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How does a restaurant brand roll out a new operating standard across thousands of company and franchise locations?
- 02What do directors of operations review each week to keep a group of restaurants on track?
- 03How should operations work with technology teams when adding new ordering channels such as delivery and mobile?
Reaching Taco Bell operations leaders
How can I contact one of these Taco Bell operations leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Taco Bell, based on profile data retrieved on October 8, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Taco Bell operations leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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