Carlos Castañeda / THE RIDER
For Roland Gonzalez, the Rio Grande Valley isn’t just another market, it’s where his story took shape. Now, as chief executive officer of Church’s Texas Chicken, he oversees more than 1,500 locations around the world, including 800 in the United States and 700 in 23 different countries.
A Miami native, Gonzalez came to the Valley as a student athlete for the 2007-08 University of Texas-Pan American baseball team and studied international business during his junior and senior years.
He added, in his senior year, he led the country in stolen bases.
“When I came to the Valley … one of the things that was really clear to me is the potential this place has,” the CEO said. “Now, 20 years later, to actually see the potential and realization, like what the university has become, what Athletics has become, the small businesses … just to see the growth and everything, is incredible.”
In 2011, Gonzalez returned to the Valley to continue his education with a Master in Business Administration.
“Then, after my MBA, that’s how I got into the food industry, but the Valley was a big part of my baseball and education,” he added.
During his time in the Valley, Gonzalez said his experience as a student athlete played a major role in shaping his career path.
“Being in sports, it’s very meritocratic, very competitive,” he said. “I was trying to figure out what I wanted to study that I would enjoy and be good at. Business was always something I was attracted to.”
Gonzalez added being a student athlete has influenced the way he leads as a CEO–supportive, transparent and able to make tough decisions.
“When you’re an athlete, you have to deliver,” he said. “So as much as you can practice and the coach can support you, you have to hit the ball.”
Gonzalez added his background as Cuban-American also influenced his decision to pursue a degree in international business.
Before becoming CEO, he started his career in the restaurant industry, working for Burger King based in Puerto Rico and in charge of 180 restaurants.
“This really helped my career to start,” Gonzalez said. “Then, I spent 10 years at [Restaurant Brands International], the parent company that owns Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons.”
In 2023, he joined Church’s Texas Chicken as the Chief Operating Officer and two years later became CEO.
“When I joined as COO, there was always a discussion about if there was a right time or place to become the CEO,” Gonzalez said. “And after two years in the role, it was the right time and place, so I got the opportunity and it’s been great ever since.”
He said a typical day for him consists of supporting and communicating with the people in his company.
“The results that we’ve been getting have been great, and it’s all because of the people,” Gonzalez said.
He said he always tries to be proactive while on the road by communicating with his team.
One of the most important lessons he learned while being a business leader is, “You can’t do everything yourself … and having set routines in place.”
“It’s very easy to get very busy or forgetful about certain things,” he said. “… What you prioritize is important.”
Gonzalez emphasized the importance of giving back locally, including supporting a partnership with UTRGV Baseball and launching a youth baseball camp aimed at providing opportunities for young athletes in the community. The program will launch this fall, and Church’s will fully sponsor over 10% of the kids.
“When I became CEO, I was like, ‘I got to go back to my roots, and I got to give back,’” he said. “ … That’s why we’re going to be sponsoring things that are important to me, like the baseball camp.”
Through these initiatives, Gonzalez said he is also focused on inspiring students who hope to follow a similar path to his, adding students at UTRGV have access to the same opportunities as those at any other university.
“You can do anything you want to do and be anything you want to become if you’re in the door,” he said.
Gonzalez added students should remain committed to their goals and make the most of the resources available to them.
“Go as far as you want to go, but just work hard along the way to get there,” he said.
Gonzalez highlighted the importance of developing both technical and interpersonal skills, particularly communication, while staying ahead of emerging technologies.
“Communication … really polish that up and make sure that’s good,” he said. “And get in front of [artificial intelligence] as much as you can. … So, try to figure out what you want to do and be one of the early adopters on that.”
