Pizza Hut Foundation Board of Directors: Commitment to Leadership

The Pizza Hut Foundation is led by a board of directors who are part of the International Pizza Hut Franchisee Holder Association (IPHFHA). The Pizza Hut Foundation board of directors is comprised of successful professionals committed to empowering the next generation of community leaders and entrepreneurs.

Luis Veras

Foundation Chairman

Luis Veras is the President of LVM Foods, LLC (Yum! Brands / Pizza Hut Franchisee) and SVM Coffee, LLC (Starbucks Licensee). Prior to being an entrepreneur, he was a Senior Operations Leader at 7-Eleven, Inc. and held a number of leadership roles with Yum! Brands in the U. S., including GM for KFC’s Southwest Operations, Head of Pizza Hut’s Marketing Analysis & Strategy Team, and Head of Finance for the West Territory of Pizza Hut. Luis joined Yum! Brands from KPMG Consulting’s Chicago office. There he focused on developing strategies and leading large scale transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 clients in the retail and restaurant industries.

Mr. Veras is the author of a book on business profitability and has been a speaker in multiple conferences in the U.S. and Latin America. He has a passion for teaching and is currently an Instructor in the Business Leadership Center at SMU Cox School of Business. Luis supports and has been the Board Chairman of Mi Escuelita Preschool, a non-profit that provides early childhood education to low income at risk children in the Dallas area. He is also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), has served as Board Chairman of the International Pizza Hut Franchise Holders Association (IPHFHA) and is a founding member and 2025 Board Chairman of the Pizza Hut Foundation.

Joe Linot

Executive Director, IPHFHA

Joe Linot has an extensive background in the restaurant/foodservice industry and in Association management. He spent 15 years of his career as Executive Director of the Kansas Beef Council and 13 years with Cargill in expanding roles of responsibility in their marketing, product innovation, and retail foodservice divisions.

Joe has been Executive Director for IPHFHA since 2016. He participates in the Advertising Committee, Asset Committee, Beverage Committee, Food Evolution Committee, Localization Committee, System Operations Committee, Government Affairs Committee, and Political Action Committee. He is also a member of the American Pizza Community.

A Kansas native, Joe and his wife Becky live in Wichita. They have two sons, Alec and Reid.

Premila Vishwanth

Franchise Owner, Tex Food, LLC

Premila Vishwanath, is the owner and operator of 14 Pizza Hut restaurants, across 3 states with over 11 years of experience as a franchisee and winner of three Elite Operator Awards. Premila started her restaurant career working as a drive-thru CSR at Taco Bell. She worked her way up to RGM and operated multiple Taco Bell restaurants in Orange County, CA, where her people skills and ability to deliver excelling results caught the attention of TB executives and landed her the role of Project Manager at the TB Corporate office. Premila worked at Taco Bell Corp. in many departments including Facility Management, Real Estate, and Franchise Development and Recruiting. It was during this time that Premila decided to become a franchisee with Pizza Hut.

As a Pizza Hut Franchisee, Premila enjoys mentoring, coaching, and developing her team, especially the women who work for her. She believes that investing back in women is an investment in the community as a whole. She enjoys being a franchisee, as she can impact the lives of many others and is also able to motivate them to grow and be better.

Rafael Calderon

Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Rafael is an executive with 25 years of experience helping Fortune 500 consumer companies achieve growth and efficiency through large-scale transformation initiatives. He specializes in business transformation, digital supply networks, and cost optimization.

Rafael has led multinational teams across North America, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, delivering over $3 billion in client benefits. As an award-winning author and speaker, he received the 2020 IIE Joint Publisher of the Year award for his book, Digital Supply Networks.

Surma Guha Bowden

Human Resources Director, Pizza Hut (Yum! Brands)

Surma works with business leaders to understand strategic talent needs and deliver sustainable, impactful solutions that accelerate business goals. With over 13 years of experience across India, Canada, and the U.S., [Your Name] specializes in Executive Leadership Coaching, Organizational Transformation, Talent Management, and Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.

Surma holds an MBA, an Economics Honours degree, and an Advanced Diploma in Coaching from the International Coaching Federation, as well as certifications in Competency-Based Interviewing, Instructional Design, and Training Facilitation.

Marco Moretto

Chief Development Officer, Pizza Hut

Marco Moretto is the Chief Development Officer for Pizza Hut USA. He leads the Development function, including Traditional and Express Growth, with teams spanning Development, A&E, Market Strategy, and Business Development.

Since joining Pizza Hut Canada in 2014, Marco has held leadership roles such as Chief Development Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Manager of Pizza Hut Europe. His career includes leading various functions across Canada, the U.K., and Europe, as well as interim oversight of IT and Operations.

Board of Directors