- Circus management team expands to include one of the international leaders in process engineering in the food service industry
- Wong previously led process engineering and operations at the world-leading brands of RBI (Burger King) and Yum! (Pizza Hut)
- At Circus, he will be responsible for the global operational strategy for the CA-1 robot
Hamburg, September 11th, 2024 – Circus SE (Xetra: CA1), a leading AI robotics company specializing in autonomous kitchen systems, today announced the appointment of Alastair Wong as Vice President Process Engineering.
Alastair brings many years of experience in managing and scaling operational processes for global fast food, retail and manufacturing companies. Previously, as Head of Engineering International at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), he was responsible for developing product strategies and efficient production initiatives. RBI is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies, with more than $40 billion in annual sales and more than 30,000 restaurants in over 120 countries. At RBI, he led the international operations strategy for well-known brands such as Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons and Firehouse Subs in EMEA, APAC and LAC. In this role, he was instrumental in introducing innovative concepts such as fully automated kitchens and digitally optimized drive-thrus. Prior to joining RBI, he held international engineering management positions at Yum! Brands. With brands such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken and approximately $64 billion in sales from more than 59,000 restaurants in over 155 countries, Yum! Brands is the largest restaurant company in the world.
With an impressive track record and extensive experience in process optimization, product strategy and leading interdisciplinary teams, Wong will play a key role in the continued expansion of Circus Group. "I am thrilled to be joining Circus to help shape the future of foodservice with AI and robotics," said Alastair Wong. "The opportunity to transform the global foodservice market at scale is huge. I'm looking forward to creating smart, efficient food production environments that will redefine the industry."
"We are delighted to welcome Alastair Wong to our leadership team," said Nikolas Bullwinkel, CEO of Circus Group. "With his outstanding expertise in process engineering and his experience in scaling global foodservice operations, Alastair brings exactly the skills and knowledge we need for Circus' next phase of growth. With a current potential hardware revenue of $1.6 billion in pre-orders for the CA-1, it is a logical step for us to bring the leading minds in our industry into the company now. Alastair will play a key role in ensuring that Circus establishes itself as a technology leader at the forefront of the industry, setting new standards for efficiency and customer experience through advanced AI robotic solutions."
At Circus, Alastair Wong will be responsible for leading global operational strategies and driving the implementation of the CA-1 autonomous food production system. He will focus on integrating advanced robotics for accuracy, consistency and efficiency, as well as developing scalable store concepts and optimizing supply chains. He will act as a key interface between the company's business and engineering teams.
Alastair is known for his passion for technological innovation and its positive, radical impact on operational efficiency and customer experience. His new role at Circus underlines the company's growth ambitions to disrupt the industry with its innovative and patented AI robotics solution, and comes just weeks after the group announced the appointment of its new VP Business Development, Ilona Schukina.
