Nichole Robillard
Director

Nichole is a brand cultivator, creative strategist, and expert storyteller with over 20 years of experience driving growth for multi-unit restaurant chains, retailers, and global food and beverage brands across both the agency and operator sides of the industry.

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Most recently, Nichole served as Chief Marketing Officer of Red Lobster, where she joined in the fall of 2024 to lead the iconic brand's comeback following its emergence from bankruptcy. In this role, she oversaw marketing, communications, and culinary teams, with a mandate to reestablish Red Lobster's relevance with both longtime guests and new audiences across its 545 U.S. and Canadian locations.  Nichole was responsible for the selection and oversight of Martech systems and partners.

Prior to Red Lobster, Nichole spent nearly four years at Smokey Bones, where she was promoted to CMO and spearheaded a full brand transformation — launching the award-winning "Meat is What We Do" campaign, two virtual restaurant concepts, a virtual food hall, and a fully digital drive-through. Earlier in her career, she held senior roles at marketing agencies including Zimmerman Advertising and Team Enterprises, where she led integrated teams across more than 15 restaurant brands.

Nichole's roots in the industry run deep: she began her career on the operations side, waiting tables and managing catering and events, before co-owning Beuchert's Saloon, a farm-to-table destination in Washington, D.C. She also holds three semi-professional culinary certificates. A founding member of the Women in Restaurant Leadership (WiRL) Advisory Board, she is a passionate advocate for female leadership development across the foodservice industry.

Nichole earned her BA in English and Communication Arts at Villanova University and her MBA from Florida Atlantic University.

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