# From dishwasher to KFC president

> Catherine Tan-Gillespie rose from washing dishes at 13 to leading KFC U.S., chasing learning over titles and embracing a personality-driven leadership style.
- Title: From dishwasher to KFC president · Fortune | Shortify
- Summary: Catherine Tan-Gillespie rose from washing dishes at 13 to leading KFC U.S., chasing learning over titles and embracing a personality-driven leadership style…
- Keywords: catherine tan-gillespie, kfc, yum brands, restaurant industry, career development, leadership, gen z workplace, dishwasher, president, Fortune
- Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/10/24/kfc-president-catherine-tan-gillespie-career-climb-dishwasher-to-executive-richard-branson-role-model
- Author: Preston Fore
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: catherine tan-gillespie, kfc, yum brands, restaurant industry, career development, leadership, gen z workplace
## Dishwasher to KFC president
Catherine Tan-Gillespie, fifty-two, took over KFC U.S. last year after building a career by seeking learning opportunities over money or fancy titles.
## Starting at Beefeater
At thirteen, Tan-Gillespie washed dishes at Beefeater, a now-defunct British restaurant chain, earning one pound twenty an hour. She rose to assistant general manager.
## What restaurant taught her
Tan-Gillespie credits her early restaurant work with teaching her about pressure, pace, teamwork, accountability and the discipline of standard operating procedures.

> restaurant jobs are incredible in terms of the pressure, the pace, the teamwork, the accountability, the discipline of following standard operating procedures, but then having your own personality to delight customers
## The Richard Branson dream
Tan-Gillespie studied business at the University of Plymouth, graduating in nineteen ninety-six. She developed Richard Branson as a role model and wanted to become the female version of him.

> I had this thesis that I want to see if I can be the female version of him, and that was really the genesis of everything I've done since.
## Walking away from wrong cultures
Tan-Gillespie left companies where she felt the culture wouldn't let her personality thrive. She joined KFC and parent company Yum because she fell in love with their culture.

> I did exit companies if I didn't feel that the culture would allow my personality to give the behaviors that would make me successful
## Rising through KFC ranks
In twenty fifteen, Tan-Gillespie joined KFC South Pacific overseeing marketing in Australia and New Zealand. Two years later she became global chief marketing officer, then led KFC Canada before taking U.S. in April twenty twenty-five.
## Fixing KFC's U.S. decline
KFC U.S.sales fell three percent year over year in twenty twenty-five and were down another two percent in its most recent reported quarter.
## Her advice for Gen Z
Tan-Gillespie tells young people to embrace fear and ask what they would do if they weren't scared. She quotes the nineteen eighty-seven book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway to encourage taking chances.

> Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is actually feeling fearful about the future or jobs, but actually just saying, 'Okay, what would I do if I wasn't scared?'
## Key takeaway

KFC U.S. president Catherine Tan-Gillespie built her career by seeking challenging roles over money or status, inspired by Richard Branson's model of innovation with integrity.