Xavier Simonet is an unlikely CEO of the nation’s largest Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet operator. After a decade at French luxury giant LVMH, he rose through the ranks at swimwear brand Seafolly, then spent six years at the helm of outerwear retailer Kathmandu and Rip Curl. After a stint as head of Austrade, Simonet this week started in the top job at ASX-listed Collins Foods.

He arrives at the company, which operates 275 of Australia’s 750 KFC outlets, as the fast food industry is in the midst of its biggest change in decades. Established giants – from Hungry Jack’s to Red Rooster – face a new generation of competitors ranging from large chains such as the Mexican-themed Guzman y Gomez to dozens of smaller brands that exploit chicken with Portuguese, Korean or Middle East.

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