FB Society announced Brad Leist as its new Chief Financial Officer.
Leist most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Finance for Landry’s, a Houston-based gaming, restaurant, and hospitality group, and brings more than two decades of financial experience in the restaurant, hospitality and retail industries. Prior to Landry’s, he served as the Chief Financial Officer & Senior VP of Accounting and Finance for Ignite Restaurant Group for nearly six years.
“FB Society is a growth company with an exceptional senior leadership team, and we are excited for Brad to join us as we prepare for a record year of concept and revenue growth in 2023,” says Jack Gibbons, FB Society President and CEO. “Brad’s success and experience as a multi-concept CFO, his financial expertise and his outstanding leadership qualities will be an invaluable addition to the team.”
As CFO at Ignite, Leist drove company initiatives to test server hand-held devices, table-side payment, EMV and food delivery. He also coordinated the implementation of a new ERP system and centralized the company’s accounting, accounts payable and indirect tax functions to the corporate office from a third-party service provider, while leading cost control efforts to improve profitability and pay down company debt.
In his new role at FB Society, Leist aims to fortify the company’s financial foundation to facilitate the growth of existing concepts and support the development of new experiences. He will play a critical role in FB Society’s leadership team and spearhead several initiatives designed to elevate both the employee and guest experience.
“It is extremely exciting to join a company that has not only been phenomenally successful, but also has a tremendous opportunity for significant growth for many years to come,” says Leist. “I feel privileged to join such a great team and look forward to supporting the growth of FB Society’s portfolio of experiential concepts as we serve our guests, teams, community and stakeholders.”
FB Society was one of just a dozen Texas-based companies in the food and beverage industry to be included on the prestigious Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for 2022.
Leist has also served on the executive leadership team at Builders FirstSource and began his career in the audit practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a Texas native and earned his master’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University.
