Carol Austin Appointed Vice President Of Marketing For Baskin-Robbins

CANTON, Mass., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, has named Carol Austin Vice President of Marketing for Baskin-Robbins U.S. & Canada, replacing Dan Wheeler, who has been appointed Vice President, New Products and Innovation for Dunkin' Donuts U.S. Austin will report directly to John Costello, President, Global Marketing and Innovation for Dunkin' Brands.

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A seasoned marketing executive, Austin will be responsible for the strategic development, planning and execution of Baskin-Robbins' marketing initiatives in the United States and Canada. She will work with cross-functional teams to develop and implement marketing strategies that strengthen the Baskin-Robbins brand, drive sales, traffic and profitable growth for more than 2,500 North American Baskin-Robbins locations.

"Carol is a highly experienced senior marketing leader who brings a wealth of experience helping companies grow through integrated brand and customer engagement strategies," said John Costello, President, Global Marketing and Innovation for Dunkin' Brands. "With her strong marketing and retail experience, leadership capabilities and business knowledge, I am confident she will play a key role in helping us continue to grow the Baskin-Robbins brand while driving franchisee profitability."

"I'm excited to join Baskin-Robbins, one of the world's most iconic brands, and play a key role in the brand's future growth," said Carol Austin, Vice President of Marketing, Baskin-Robbins U.S. & Canada. "It's an exciting time for the brand in North America, from its new restaurant design to continued product innovation, and I look forward to working with our team to develop and execute innovative marketing strategies to further build the Baskin-Robbins brand."

Prior to joining Baskin-Robbins, Austin served as Customer Engagement leader at CVS Caremark, where she led digital, brand and loyalty strategy for CVS ExtraCare. Prior to CVS Caremark, Austin served as Vice President of Brand and Marketing for Stop & Shop/Giant Supermarket Company, directing all brand, marketing and digital strategies. She has also served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Digitas LLC. Austin holds a Master of International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts in French and Business from the University of Vermont in Burlington.

In his new role, Wheeler will focus on driving the innovation pipeline and product testing across both food and beverages for Dunkin' Donuts U.S. Prior to this role, Wheeler served as Vice President, Brand and Field Marketing for Baskin-Robbins U.S. and Canada. Wheeler will report to Christopher Fuqua, Vice President, Brand Marketing for Dunkin' Donuts U.S.

About Dunkin' Brands

With more than 17,900 points of distribution in nearly 60 countries worldwide, Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) is one of the world's leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSR) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-serve ice cream. At the end of third quarter 2013, Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100 percent franchised business model included nearly 10,800 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and more than 7,100 Baskin-Robbins restaurants. For the full-year 2012, the company had franchisee-reported sales of approximately $8.8 billion. Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Mass.

SOURCE Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.