DALLAS, April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), a recognized leader in casual dining, announces the election of David Deno, Michael Dixon and Jon Luther to its board of directors.

"The Governance and Nominating Committee, along with the Brinker board of directors at large, conducted an exhaustive search," said Erle Nye, Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Brinker board of directors. "We are pleased to have identified three leaders of this caliber with strong restaurant and executive experience."

"Our new board members bring extensive expertise in the fields of brand development and innovation, global growth and finance. The diversity of perspectives brought by these seasoned industry veterans will serve to further augment momentum behind Brinker's strategic initiatives," said Doug Brooks, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Brinker International. "In anticipation of two Brinker board members retiring later this year due to board retirement age provisions, we are adding three new directors to ensure leadership continuity."

David Deno's extensive restaurant background includes serving as CFO and COO at Yum! Brands Inc., and President and CEO of Quizno's LLC. He currently serves as CFO for the International Division of Best Buy Co., Inc. Deno also holds a seat on the board of directors for Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc.

Michael Dixon, CFO for frozen yogurt leader Pinkberry since 2008, brings upscale casual dining expertise from his previous position as CFO for The Cheesecake Factory. His experience also includes finance and business development positions for The Walt Disney Company, Petsmart.com and Coopers & Lybrand.

Jon Luther, former CEO and now Chairman of Dunkin' Brands, parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, brings a wealth of hospitality and brand development knowledge from previous leadership positions at Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Marriott Corporation, ARAMARK and CA One Services, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies, Inc. Luther also serves on the board of directors for Six Flags Theme Parks and Wingstop; and on the board of trustees for the Culinary Institute of America.

About Brinker International

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), is one of the world's leading casual dining restaurant companies, serving more than one million guests daily. Founded in 1975 and based in Dallas, Texas, Brinker owns or franchises more than 1,500 restaurants in 31 countries and two territories and employs more than 100,000 team members. Brinker's wholly-owned restaurant brands include Chili's® Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy®. Brinker also holds a minority investment in Romano's Macaroni Grill®. For more information, visit www.brinker.com.

SOURCE Brinker International, Inc.