Sandra B. Cochran has been named president and chief executive officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., effective Sept. 12, 2011, at which time she is also slated to become a member of the Board of Directors.
Cochran holds a chemical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University. She received a Distinguished Alumnus Award and was inducted into the School of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2008.
Cochran currently is president and chief operating officer of Cracker Barrel, a post she has held since November 2010. Cochran joined Cracker Barrel in April 2009 as executive vice president and chief financial officer after serving in executive positions, including as chief executive officer at Birmingham, Ala.-based Books-A-Million, the nation’s third largest book retailer.
Prior to joining Books-A-Million, Cochran held the position of vice president, corporate finance of SunTrust Securities, Inc., a subsidiary of SunTrust Banks, Inc., for seven years.
After graduation from Vanderbilt, she entered the United States Army where she served as a captain in the Ninth Infantry Division. Cochran holds a master of business administration from Pacific Lutheran University.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 603 company-owned locations in 42 states.