James Butler

Biography

James Butler is the Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain and Corporate Strategy Officer for Brinker International, Inc. He oversees all aspects of the company’s supply chain, including procurement, food safety, quality assurance, distribution, logistics, brand program management, and supply chain systems for Brinker’s corporate-owned restaurants. In addition to his supply chain leadership, James directs Brinker’s corporate strategy team, driving several of the company’s most impactful initiatives and strategic projects.

Prior to Brinker, James was Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, LLC (RSCS), the supply chain co-op for Yum! Brands. There, he led a transformation of supply chain operations supporting Kentucky Fried Chicken, improving efficiency and performance. Before RSCS, James held leadership roles as Vice President of Strategy and Integrated Business Planning at Georgia-Pacific and served as a management consultant with Deloitte Consulting, LLC. Throughout his career, James has developed a reputation for aligning operations with business goals to deliver sustainable value and inspire transformative change.

James earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management.

Committed to giving back, James serves on the alumni boards of both of his alma maters and mentors young people entering college and their careers. Outside of work, he enjoys quality time with his wife, Catalina (MBA 2015), and their three children. The family loves traveling, especially to South America to visit Catalina’s family. When home, they enjoy following their favorite college teams and laughing and playing together.