Warrington Lecture welcomes Wendy’s president and CEO Todd Penegor

Each year, the Broad College’s Sylvan T. Warrington Visiting Lectureship in Ethics and Leadership welcomes esteemed alumni back to their alma mater to speak to current undergraduate and graduate students. Critical business topics like corporate citizenship, strategy and ethical leadership are the focus of the event, as alumni lend their own experiences to the conversation and share advice for tomorrow’s business leaders.

Todd Penegor (B.A. Accounting ’87, MBA ’89), president and CEO of Wendy’s

At the 2022 Warrington Lecture on Oct. 6, Todd Penegor (B.A. Accounting ’87, MBA ’89), president and CEO of Wendy’s, will be the featured executive speaker. He will join Interim Dean Judith Whipple in a “fireside chat” to discuss his personal leadership style and how he and his team are driving growth at Wendy’s.

Penegor has been with the restaurant company since 2013 and has served as president and CEO since 2016. His vision is to create a company culture where Wendy’s people feel valued, appreciated and empowered to be their very best — a leadership style that has also proved successful in positioning Wendy’s as an efficient growth company.

His connection to Wendy’s runs deep: Penegor’s father was a franchisee in their family’s hometown of Iron Mountain, Michigan. Penegor was connected to the business as a young adult, and today, he places a great emphasis on creating value for franchisees as well as customers. He has built a strong, collaborative partnership with the franchise community and helped attract new franchisees to join the Wendy’s family to create joy and opportunity for others and to build an even stronger brand.

As a proud two-time Broad alumnus, Penegor has an unwavering commitment to the college and has remained involved in various ways over the years. He is currently the president of the college’s Advisory Board, leading a group of accomplished alumni who dedicate their time, expertise, leadership and financial support to their alma mater. He has served as a commencement speaker in 2017, where he was recognized with the Broad College’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement award, and again in 2020, where he was presented with an honorary Doctorate in Business.

The 2022 Warrington Lecture will take place on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. in the North Business Building. The lecture will be an open and engaging opportunity for students to hear about Penegor’s career path, his leadership style and his advice for tomorrow’s business leaders. Registration is available on the Broad College events page.