Pizza Hut India MD Pewekar Named CEO of Bharti Hospitality Platform

Rohan Pewekar, who built his career at Pizza Hut India across six years and five countries, has been appointed CEO of the Bharti family office's hospitality and dining platform, where he will oversee brands including PizzaExpress and Chili's.

Pewekar joined Yum! Brands in 2019 and worked his way through a sequence of finance and strategy roles before being named Managing Director for the Indian Subcontinent in August 2024. In that position he carried responsibility for Pizza Hut's operations across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Before the MD appointment, he served as Chief Strategy and Finance Officer from February 2022 to September 2024, a period during which he anchored the brand's financial roadmap. Earlier roles included director of finance and planning and director of finance, strategy, supply chain and quality assurance.

On LinkedIn, Pewekar framed his departure as a natural moment for reflection after twelve months in the top regional seat. "After more than 6 incredible years, I'm closing a very special chapter at Pizza Hut India," he wrote. "I'm deeply grateful to Yum! Brands and Shannon Garcia for the trust and opportunity to lead such an iconic brand across the Indian Subcontinent." He also posted a broader leadership note that drew 386 reactions and 33 comments, writing: "The past year has taught me that leadership is less about being in charge, and more about taking care of people, priorities, and purpose."

Manish Dhankher, Chief Operating Officer at Yum! Brands, responded to the post with a message that doubles as a read on what Pizza Hut's leadership values in its franchise model: "The magic lies in keeping the model simple: happy guests, thriving franchisees, and teams that feel empowered to be their best."

Before Pizza Hut, Pewekar spent nearly eight years at Accenture and close to three years at Samsung Electronics, where his work included identifying gaps in the TV segment, revamping the consumer loyalty programme, and leading the launch of a unified brand store. He holds degrees from IIM Calcutta and The Wharton School.

The Bharti family office's hospitality platform represents a significant step up in brand scope. PizzaExpress and Chili's operate across very different price points and service formats from the delivery-and-carryout model that defines most of Pizza Hut India's footprint, meaning Pewekar's operational experience managing a multi-country QSR network will be tested against a more varied portfolio. The full list of brands under the Bharti platform and the geographic reach of his new remit have not been confirmed publicly.

Yum! Brands has not announced a successor for the Managing Director role covering the Indian Subcontinent.