Guzman y Gomez names Claire West as director of marketing

Guzman y Gomez has appointed Claire West as its new director of marketing for Australia, following an extensive search. She will start in February 2026.

West joins from Woolworths Group and Westpac, bringing more than 25 years’ experience leading brand transformation and customer growth across large-scale organisations. GYG’s global chief marketing officer Lara Thom said West’s appointment adds “another layer of marketing excellence” to the fast-growing brand.

“The growth GYG is seeing is phenomenal and I have no doubt Claire is going to add yet another layer of marketing excellence to the growth of the brand and the talent in the team,” Thom said.

West will lead national and local area marketing, creative, content and strategy, digital, delivery and guest experience. She will work alongside Alison Peake, GYG’s director of communications, PR and events, to oversee the brand’s marketing function across Australia.

At Westpac, West led a major repositioning of the brand for younger audiences following the banking Royal Commission, while at BIG W she delivered significant growth during the COVID-19 period. She was awarded a Marketing Academy Fellowship in 2025 and a gold Effie for long-term effectiveness in 2022.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the powerhouse team at GYG next year,” West said. “They have built a world-class product, brand and customer experience and I am thrilled to be part of the next chapter of growth.”

Founded in 2006, Guzman y Gomez operates 262 restaurants across Australia, the US, Singapore and Japan, and continues to expand rapidly both locally and internationally.