DALLAS — Tim Ward has been named president and chief executive officer of On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina. He succeeds Matt Hood, who held the role since April 2018.

Ward joins On the Border from The Krystal Co., where he was president since November 2019. Before that, he spent more than eight years with Captain D’s, most recently as chief operating officer. During his time there, Ward was also vice president of operations and director of operations. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years as director of operations for Arby’s Restaurant Group.

“I’m honored by the opportunity to lead On the Border,” Ward said. “This brand has strong roots and has shown great resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. This pandemic has given us a unique opportunity to really rethink this brand and how we can best serve our loyal customers. I am encouraged by our recent sales trends and look forward to working with our dedicated team members on On the Border’s next chapter.”

Also joining the On the Border team is Bruce Vermilyea, who has been named chief financial officer. He worked alongside Ward at Krystal as CFO since October 2019. Previously, Vermilyea spent a year as senior vice president and CFO for Quiznos and a year and a half as CFO for Pepperjax Development. Before that, he spent more than 17 years with Qdoba Restaurant Corp., most recently as vice president and CFO, and earlier was vice president of finance, controller and treasurer for the restaurant company.

“Tim and Bruce have a history of working together to drive results, so we are thrilled they have agreed to lead On the Border,” said Michael A. Klump, founder and CEO of Argonne Capital Group, which owns On the Border and other multi-unit concepts. “On the Border is an iconic Mexican chain that will benefit greatly from the passion and exacting standards Tim and Bruce will bring to the organization.”