Kurt Kane Announced as New CEO, President of TruGreen

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - TruGreen has appointed Kurt Kane as its president and CEO, effective immediately.

Kane succeeds John Cowles, who is leaving TruGreen.

"We are pleased to welcome Kurt to TruGreen and believe his brand-building skillset and proven ability to lead and motivate employees will serve TruGreen well as it enters this next chapter of growth," John Compton, TruGreen chairman and an operating partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (TruGreen's majority investment partner) said in a press release. "Kurt's 'people first' leadership approach and commitment to innovative customer engagement will help TruGreen continue to deepen its associate and customer relationships across the neighborhoods we serve with industry leading and innovative lawn care.

Kane has more than 20 years of experience driving increased employee engagement and customer satisfaction to achieve strong growth objectives in competitive markets. Kane most recently served as president, U.S., and chief commercial officer at The Wendy's Company. In this role, he led all aspects of Wendy's U.S. business, which during his tenure grew to include nearly 5,900 restaurants and increased sales from $9 to $11 billion. Among his key accomplishments in this position were the development and implementation of strategic plans that drove the highest same restaurant sales growth achieved by the Wendy's brand in more than 15 years, reinventing the culture, structure, and mindset of the U.S. operations team, and successfully launching breakfast, which delivered approximately $750 million in incremental sales during its first year.

"I am excited to join TruGreen and collaborate with all of my new colleagues to help TruGreen deepen its associate and customer engagement and continue on its strong growth trajectory," Kane said. "TruGreen is an established yet dynamic and forward-thinking consumer brand, and I'm looking forward to helping our team energize our outstanding front-line associates to create new ways for customers to interact with TruGreen and continue to receive the very best science-based lawn care in the industry."