Driven Brands Holdings Inc. announced a major leadership transition, naming Daniel Rivera as its new president and CEO and appointing him to the Board of Directors, effective May 9.
Rivera, the company’s current COO, will succeed Jonathan Fitzpatrick, the company’s president and CEO since 2012, who notified the board of his intent to step down. Fitzpatrick will transition to the role of non-executive chair while serving as a senior advisor for the remainder of the year.
Rivera joined Driven Brands in 2012 as chief information officer and has since held several key leadership roles, including president of Meineke, president of Take 5 Oil Change, and most recently, COO. His appointment follows a comprehensive multi-year succession planning process led by the board’s Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.
“Danny has made an impressive impact on Driven Brands throughout his tenure,” said Peter Swinburn, chair of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. “He is a strong, focused leader with the experience, operational acumen, industry perspective, and business insights to successfully execute on Driven Brands’ strategic objectives.”
“I am honored to be appointed as the next CEO of Driven Brands,” Rivera said. “My conviction in this business and the opportunities that lie ahead has only grown since I joined 12 years ago. I look forward to continuing to build on our momentum and drive profitable growth.”
Fitzpatrick, who led the company through its IPO and oversaw its expansion from $38 million in Adjusted EBITDA in 2012 to more than $550 million in 2024, reflected on his tenure.
“Serving as Driven Brands’ CEO has been the most rewarding and fulfilling accomplishment of my professional career. I have tremendous confidence in Danny and his ability to lead the company into the future,” he said.
The leadership transition also brings structural changes to the board, which will expand to 11 directors.
