Consumers Ultimately Define the Brand: Inside Bart LaCount's Vision for Growth at Driven Brands
With over two decades of experience growing iconic brands, leading high-performing teams, and grounding business decisions in consumer insight, Bart LaCount brings a leadership philosophy grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and results.
When Bart LaCount joined Driven Brands as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in May 2026, he saw more than just a new professional role. There was a real opportunity to help shape the future of one of North America's largest automotive services companies alongside a talented team.
The CMO job brief was straightforward: drive sustainable traffic growth and elevate Driven Brands' marketing muscle. It’s the kind of opportunity Bart has spent his career preparing for. For the last 20+ years, he has helped turn brands into household names across the food, beverage, retail, and automotive industries.
Much of his experience was gained at PepsiCo, where he held a variety of leadership roles over 18 years. Most recently, Bart served as SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
While marketing has been the cornerstone of Bart's professional journey – and the focus of his MBA from University of Michigan's Ross School of Business earned later in his career – it all started with a bachelor's and a master's degree in engineering from The Ohio State University (and if you’re wondering, his loyalty lies entirely with Ohio State!) His first job was at Ford Motor Company, making the return to the automotive sector a full-circle moment.
While working as a design engineer at Ford, Bart realized he was most energized when he could connect what the company was building to the people they were building it for.
“At its core, marketing is about solving problems for consumers, and that mindset isn't all that different from engineering,” he said, prompting a shift into a role in product marketing for the automotive company.
Throughout his career, Bart has intentionally pursued experiences that would challenge him, broaden his perspective across the business, and prepare him for what’s next. He quickly recognized that an executive seat at Driven Brands would offer just that, but what really sealed the deal were the people behind the company.
"I've always believed that who you work with is just as important as what you work on," he said. As he learned more about the company’s culture, brands, and vision for the future, it became clear to Bart there was a chance to help build something special.
How will he do it? Bart prioritizes three key pillars in his leadership approach: Dream. Debate. Deliver.
To him, dreaming means creating space for ambitious thinking. "I think we can often get trapped in what’s comfortable; I want people to think about what’s possible," he said.
He believes in bringing inspiration from outside the organization, encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset, and setting a high bar in a way that motivates people rather than limits them.
The dream leads to the debate. Bart values diverse perspectives and believes the best ideas emerge when people are willing to challenge one another constructively. "If we're not debating, then we're probably not pushing hard enough," he said. By encouraging transparency and healthy discussion, Bart hopes to help teams arrive at better decisions together.
The final piece is to deliver. Once a direction is chosen, Bart believes in aligning around outcomes, staying agile, and empowering people to take ownership. "I put a lot of trust and a lot of empowerment in my teams," he said. "If we focus on outcomes and results, it lets people shape them and make them their own."
Underlying Bart's philosophy is a fundamental belief that achieving growth starts with understanding people – both the consumers brands serve and the teams responsible for delivering the experience.
“Ultimately, the consumer is the boss," he said. “And marketing's job is to magnify the truth.”
In other words, successful marketing isn't about creating a perception; it's about listening carefully, staying true to who the brand is, and earning trust by delivering an experience that matches the promise. It’s a point of view that aligns well with Driven Brand’s core values, in particular, to put customers first.
"We have great brands, great people, and tremendous potential," he said. "I'm excited to help write the next chapter."