William Espey

The award-winning visionary behind Chipotle's values-driven brand and Nextbite’s celebrity-curated food delivery experiences, William Espey shares his recipe for connecting authentically and powerfully with customers.

When Espey started with Chipotle as its sole marketing creative, the company had fewer than 20 locations, and he was instrumental in driving the brand’s explosive growth in the U.S. and abroad. From customer-facing advertising and messaging to internal communications, Espey eschewed the canned, calculated, and characteristically corporate approaches to marketing strategy, instead developing Chipotle’s award-winning brand voice organically, purposefully, and authentically, as a personal expression of the company’s unique values and culture.

Espey is now part of the next wave in the restaurant revolution as Senior Director of Creative Services for virtual restaurant pioneer Nextbite, backed by SoftBank and home to delivery-only brands such as George Lopez Tacos, musician Wiz Khalifa’s Packed Bowls, and ‘Wichcraft by Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame. Espey is also the VP of Brand Voice at Ka’Chava. a nutritional supplement company.

A marketing, brand and creative content thought leader for over 20 years, Espey has won every imaginable award for creatives—most of them multiple times. With audiences, Espey shares best practices for consumer engagement, stimulating innovation, and connecting organizational culture with your brand in a meaningful way—an approach that resonates with Millennials and Gen Z, who love Chipotle’s commitment to fresh ingredients and sustainability and Nextbite’s celebrity-curated restaurant brands.