Tatiana Lambert
Vice President, U.S. Chief Development Officer
Tatiana Lambert has served as Vice President and U.S. Chief Development Officer for The Wendy’s Company since January 2024.
She leads the creation and execution of bold development strategies designed to drive footprint expansion across the U.S. for both franchisees and the Company. This includes accelerating new restaurant openings, recruiting new growth-oriented franchisees, and leading the development of traditional and non-traditional assets to build out target markets and optimize brand access.
Tatiana joins Wendy’s from Yum! Brands, where she was Interim Head of Development/Director of Development Strategy and Transformation for Pizza Hut U.S. She originally joined KFC/Yum! Brands in 2012 as Development Manager in South Africa. She later held roles of progressive leadership responsibility in franchise, corporate and non-traditional development including serving as Global Development Director for Pizza Hut leading development strategy, M&A and global franchise recruitment.
Tatiana also has global experience in real estate development and project/construction management in the retail industry. She began her career in high-rise residential and commercial mixed-use real estate development in the Washington, D.C. area. She is a recipient of several project awards in design, smart development, LEED® certification and construction.
Her fondest memory of Wendy’s is taking her young son for a Frosty treat at the restaurant in Middletown, KY when her family moved back to the U.S. from South Africa – Wendy’s will always be a taste of home for Tatiana. Her favorite menu item today? the Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
Tatiana earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland’s University College. She holds multiple professional certifications in franchise management, environmental design and retail development including Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association (IFA) and Certified Retail Real Estate Professional from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). She is fluent in Serbian, Spanish and English.