Church's Chicken names new CEO

Church’s Chicken, an Atlanta-based fast-food chain with more than 1,700 outlets, said Tuesday that Mel Deane is the company’s new chief executive officer.

Deane replaces Harsha Agadi, who will remain a member of the Church’s board of directors.

The move comes less than six months after Church’s was bought by Friedman, Fleischer & Lowe, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Deane has held leadership positions for the past 10 years with many of the companies owned by Friedman, Fleischer & Lowe.

He was previously CEO of Discovery Foods, an Asian branded frozen foods maker owned by the firm. Since August, he has been executive vice president and general manager of U.S. operations for Church’s.

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