Gies College of Business alumna Julie Fussner (BA ’96) has been named the new chief executive officer at Culver’s. Fussner joined Culver’s in 2017 as VP of marketing, where she led brand strategy, creative development, media planning, and communications. In 2023 she was named the company’s first ever chief marketing officer. Fussner has overseen several key marketing initiatives, including the 2021 unveiling of the CurderBurger and the 2022 launch of the Welcome to Delicious integrated marketing campaign. Fusser becomes the fifth CEO in the company’s history and the first woman to hold the position.

“Culver’s is made up of some of the most passionate, collaborative and smart people I’ve ever worked alongside,” said Fussner. “I’m honored to have earned the opportunity to guide the teams across this beloved brand to continued long-term success by delivering on our mission to genuinely care, so every guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy.”

Before joining Culver’s, Fussner spent nearly two decades in sales and marketing – notably at ConAgra Foods, Kraft/OscarMayer, and American Family Insurance.

“After a thorough and competitive search, Julie emerged as the clear choice to lead our organization into the next chapter,” co-founder Craig Culver said in a news release. “Professionally, Julie brings visionary thinking, business expertise and an authentic leadership style. Just as valuable, though, is how effortlessly Julie builds Culver’s culture. She innately understands and shares the values that define us: Midwest hospitality and an appreciation for people.”

Fussner graduated with honors from Gies Business in 1996. She went on to earn her MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business in 1999. She regularly comes back to campus to speak with Gies students and share her experiences with the next generation of marketing professionals.

“I think the key to any academic or professional education is exposing yourself to as many experiences as possible so you have a wide breadth of knowledge,” Fussner said. “At Illinois, I was exposed to classes in economics and law and computer science and marketing and psychology, and I am able to take pieces of all of those to help solve new challenges that I am faced with.”

“At Illinois, we were always challenged to be learning something new the next day,” she said. “It was sort of learning the skill of learning, which never goes away. Especially in business, if you can’t adapt and learn new skills, you’re not going to be able to keep up. Everything I learned here, I apply in my work life all the time. The friends I made here are still my closest friends in life. Those are pretty great things to walk away from the university with.”