Mountain Mike’s Pizza has a new chief marketing officer, and she arrives with a resume that includes brand strategy at Jack in the Box and a campaign featuring Mark Hamill. The chain announced today that Sheena Dougher has taken over the role, succeeding Carol DeNembo, who led marketing initiatives at the chain for nearly nine years.
Dougher brings more than 15 years of restaurant marketing experience to the job. Most recently, she served as vice president of brand marketing at Jack in the Box, where she oversaw brand strategy across public relations, social media, brand content, paid media, and regional marketing. Her tenure included the “The Return of Mark Hamill” campaign in 2023, which earned recognition as a Business Insider Brand Marketing Rising Star and a Brand Innovators Women in Marketing Industry Innovation Award. Last year, she was named one of Reuters’ Trailblazing Women.
Dougher’s Path to the Role
Before joining Jack in the Box in 2016, Dougher held marketing roles with Rubio’s Restaurants, Garden Fresh Restaurants, and Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza. She managed brand marketing, product launches, digital strategy, and field marketing across those companies.
Her appointment comes months after Ryan Lulow was named chief financial officer of the brand. The timing is notable, though the source does not characterize it as a broader shift in leadership.
Metevier on the Hire
Chief Executive Officer Jim Metevier praised Dougher’s ability to deliver tangible results through brand strategy. In a statement, he said her track record is highlighted by her ability to translate strategy into business outcomes.
“Her numerous attributes as a seasoned marketer will further strengthen our brand position, drive traffic and sales, deepen our connections in the communities we serve, and help introduce Mountain Mike’s to new guests and new regions across the country,” Metevier said. He added that her understanding of national and local marketing will accelerate the brand “to the top of the segment.”
The announcement does not offer evidence that Dougher’s past campaigns moved the needle for Jack in the Box beyond recognition. It is worth noting that the “Return of Mark Hamill” campaign involved a celebrity actor reprising a role.
The Brand’s Recent Numbers
Mountain Mike’s sales reached $368.2 million in 2025, for a 2% increase year-over-year, outpacing many of its peers. Total pizza chain category sales fell by 0.3% in 2025.
Those figures paint a picture of a chain growing faster than the industry around it. The 2% sales increase outperformed the category decline.
| Metric | 2025 Result | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | $368.2 million | +2% year-over-year |
| Units | 321 | +7.4% year-over-year |
| Category sales | N/A | -0.3% |
Dougher’s Statement on the Role
In a statement, Dougher described why Mountain Mike’s stood out to her.
“There’s a significant opportunity to deepen the foundation and amplify the Mountain Mike’s narrative by sharpening what makes the brand unique, bringing a truly remarkable brand story to more people and creating stronger guest connections in the communities we serve, and I am eager to help turn the opportunity into meaningful brand and business growth,” she said.
The statement is aspirational but vague. It promises to amplify the brand narrative and create stronger guest connections, which are marketing platitudes. The question is whether she can execute on those promises in a category that is shrinking overall.
What the Job Actually Covers
As CMO, Dougher will oversee Mountain Mike’s suite of integrated marketing strategies and activations. She is tasked with creating new avenues to distinguish the brand and build awareness in new and existing markets. Her responsibilities also include strengthening local community connections, driving sales, supporting franchisees, and pursuing new channel opportunities like catering.
The job description is broad. It covers everything from creative strategy to sales support to franchisee relations. That range is typical for a CMO role, but it leaves open the question of how she will prioritize among those competing demands.
The Hamill Campaign and Its Legacy
The “Return of Mark Hamill” campaign is the clearest signal of Dougher’s approach to marketing. By leveraging a beloved celebrity actor, she generated attention for Jack in the Box. Whether that attention translated into sales is not stated in the announcement.
Brand recognition is one thing. Sales growth is another. The announcement does not connect the campaign to any measurable outcome for Jack in the Box beyond the awards. That gap is worth noting, because it is the difference between winning an award and actually moving the business forward.
The Bottom Line on the Appointment
Mountain Mike’s has made two leadership moves in quick succession. The CFO arrived months ago, and now the CMO is in place. The company is growing its footprint and outperforming a shrinking category, but the marketing team has been led by the same person for nearly nine years.
Dougher inherits a brand with strong recognition and a clear path forward. The chain’s recent performance shows resilience in a difficult market. Whether she can accelerate the brand “to the top of the segment” remains to be seen.
The announcement is a standard corporate move. A chain hires a proven marketer with a recognizable portfolio, and the CEO says nice things about her. The question is whether the portfolio translates into execution. Mountain Mike’s has not said how it will measure success under her leadership, and it has not said what metrics matter most.
What is known is the record: a campaign featuring Mark Hamill, an award for innovation, and a track record of growth at Jack in the Box. Whether that record predicts success at Mountain Mike’s is a question the chain will answer over the coming months.
The company has not said when it expects to see results from her work. It has not said how her plans differ from DeNembo’s. Those details will matter more than the announcement itself as the year unfolds.
For now, the appointment is a signal of intent. The company is investing in marketing leadership at a moment when the category is contracting. Whether that investment pays off will depend on whether Dougher can convert recognition into revenue.
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