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© History Oasis
1993-2018
Steve Ells founded Chipotle Mexican Grill in 1993 with $85,000 borrowed from family, initially viewing the Denver burrito shop as funding for his planned fine-dining restaurant.
During his tenure, Ells transformed the single location into a nationwide chain, growing from 16 Colorado restaurants when McDonald's invested in 1998 to over 2,300 locations globally by his departure.
Ells was the sole CEO until 2009, when he began sharing leadership duties with Monty Moran as co-CEO, then returned as sole chief executive in December 2016.
His leadership ended in November 2017 when the board sought a CEO with "turnaround expertise" following devastating food safety crises.
2009-2016
Monty Moran joined Chipotle as president and chief operating officer in March 2005.
He was promoted to co-CEO in January 2009, sharing leadership responsibilities with founder Steve Ells.
Moran brought a leadership philosophy centered on personal connection, conducting one-on-one meetings with approximately 20,000 Chipotle employees during his tenure to understand and empower the workforce.
Under Moran's co-leadership, the company experienced meteoric growth from hundreds of employees to nearly 75,000 and from a handful of restaurants to almost 2,500 locations.
Moran stepped down as co-CEO in December 2016 after the E. coli outbreaks created increased scrutiny.
2018-2024
Brian Niccol became Chipotle's CEO in March 2018, replacing founder Steve Ells after serving as CEO of Taco Bell since 2015.
Niccol immediately moved the company's headquarters from Denver to Newport Beach, California, impacting 400 workers, and focused on rebuilding the brand after the food safety crisis.
During his six-year tenure, Niccol doubled Chipotle's revenue while increasing profits almost seven times, with the stock price rising nearly eight times under his leadership.
Niccol left Chipotle in August 2024 to become chairman and CEO of Starbucks.
2024-Present
Scott Boatwright was appointed interim CEO on August 31, 2024, following Brian Niccol's departure to Starbucks, and was officially named CEO.
Boatwright had served as Chipotle's Chief Operating Officer since May 2017, overseeing restaurant operations for more than 120,000 employees and over 3,500 locations while leading technology integration efforts.
Before joining Chipotle, Boatwright spent 18 years with Arby's Restaurant Group in various leadership positions, most recently as Senior Vice President of Operations responsible for over 1,700 restaurants.
Under Boatwright's leadership, the company has maintained operational stability.
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