New Dunkin’ owner Inspire Brands is not only one of the largest restaurant companies in the world, it also wants to be a leader in the collection, analysis and use of data. To that end, Inspire’s CEO Paul Brown recently created a new corporate position. Navin Sharma, a senior executive with Inspire since 2018, is now the Chief Commercial Services Officer. His job, according to Brown is to “drive competitive advantage and long-term growth for all our brands.”

The restaurant industry is in the midst of a digital revolution. A 2020 study by the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business, highlighted how restaurants have been able to home in on their customers like never before, thanks to a greater assortment of digital tools – like ordering kiosks and mobile apps that collect customer information and preferences. “Through qualitative analytics, restaurants can create datasets of customer purchasing profiles,” the study reported.