HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - Jun 4, 2014) - Mexican Restaurants, Inc. (MRI), a subsidiary of Williston Holding Company, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: WHCA), has appointed Douglas Hipskind as chief financial officer and promoted Nancy Cross to chief people officer, effective immediately.
Doug joins MRI after serving as CFO of Lake Street Capital Markets, an investment banking firm located in Minneapolis, MN. Prior to Lake Street, he served in marketing and operations roles with investment management firms Whitebox Advisors and Jundt Associates. Prior to that, Doug was a senior manager with KPMG.
He also served on the board of directors of Kona Grill, a publicly-traded American grill and sushi bar, from 2003 through 2011. Hipskind is a CPA and earned his B.A. degree in economics from the University of Colorado and a B.S. degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota.
"Doug brings to MRI more than 25 years of financial and executive leadership experience that I have observed firsthand, specifically during our time together at Jundt Associates and Kona Grill," said Marcus Jundt, chairman and CEO of MRI. "He is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of strategic leadership in both financial and operational roles. Doug's appointment will strengthen our executive management team, and we look forward to his financial expertise as we grow MRI and its brands."
Nancy has been with MRI for 18 years, most recently as vice president of human resources. She began her career with MRI in 1995 as director of recruiting and training before transitioning into human resources. Prior to joining MRI, Nancy served with the Pappa's Brothers restaurant organization and Brinker International, a publicly-traded casual dining restaurant company. She has been certified by the National Human Resources Certification Institute since 1998 and a standing member of the National Restaurant Association since 1997.
"Nancy's commitment and long-term involvement with the restaurant industry makes her an ideal candidate as a partner and member of our executive management team," said Perry Brush, president and Chief Development Officer of MRI. "She is a seasoned industry professional and qualified leader of our human resources team, uniquely qualified to recruit, train and develop our team members."
About Mexican Restaurants, Inc.
Mexican Restaurants, Inc. (MRI) owns and operates 46 franchises and 11 full-service, Mexican-themed restaurants. The restaurants are primarily in the greater Houston metropolitan area under the following brands: Casa Ole'®, Crazy Jose's®, Monterey's Little Mexico® and Tortuga Mexican Kitchen®. MRI also operates a fast casual concept restaurant under the name Mission Burrito®.