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Cliff Hudson

Overview

Cliff Hudson is the CEO of Sonic Corp, Inc.(SONC). Cliff Hudson spent 30-plus years in various roles with Sonic Drive-In, 23 of them as chief executive, and guided the company through numerous challenges and changes leading up to its sale in 2018 to Inspire Brands. Speaking in Philadelphia today, September 28, at Springboard, a conference for emerging franchisors, he called out listening, the co-opting of ideas and innovation as key concepts for any leader.

Hudson, who was part of the management team that in 1986 purchased Sonic in a $10 million leveraged buyout, noted the brand had about 1,000 locations and $300 million in systemwide sales at the time. In 2018, when it was purchased by Atlanta-based Inspire as its fourth brand, Sonic had nearly $4.5 billion in sales and about 3,600 units. Getting there, he said, required a “healthy, communicative culture—a collaborative culture.”

Career

  • SONC - CEO
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