Shake Shack Stock Rises On Leadership Changes: Retail’s Extremely Bullish

Sentiment on Stocktwits jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ a day ago.

Shares of fast food chain Shake Shack ($SHAK) climbed nearly 2% on Thursday after the company announced several changes to its leadership team as part of its next phase of growth, lifting retail sentiment.

Shake Shack has promoted Steph So, a senior vice president, to chief growth officer and named Luke DeRouen chief communications officer. Both will report to Rob Lynch, CEO of Shake Shack, according to the company statement.

Meanwhile, Shake Shack’s chief marketing officer, Jay Livingston, will move into a special projects role before leaving the organization at the end of March to pursue new opportunities, the company said.

“Shake Shack is at a pivotal moment of growth and evolution, and we’re thrilled to welcome both Steph and Luke to our leadership team,” Rob Lynch, CEO of Shake Shack, said. “Their expertise and passion for brand-building will be instrumental in shaping our future, deepening our guest connections, and expanding Shake Shack’s footprint while staying true to our roots of exceptional quality and hospitality.”

Sentiment on Stocktwits jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ a day ago. Message volumes continued to be in the ‘low’ zone.

So was formerly senior vice president of digital experience, responsible for leading the company’s digital marketing and experience, promotional strategy, consumer analytics, and culinary innovation. Since joining Shake Shack in 2019, So played a pivotal role in driving digital growth, enhancing the Shack App and website, the company said.

DeRouen has nearly 20 years of marketing and communications experience, and was most recently executive vice president at Zeno Group. He has previously worked as chief marketing officer at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.

Shake Shack plans to release its fourth quarter 2024 financial results on February 20, 2025, before the market opens.

Since the original Shake Shack opened in 2004 in New York’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to over 570 locations system-wide, including over 370 in 34 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, and over 200 international locations.

Shake Shack stock is down 5.9% year-to-date.

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