Larry Zwain
Chief Executive Officer and President, Boston Market division of Boston Chicken, Inc., Golden, Colorado
Age: 43. Why he's rising: Zwain, who shot through the ranks at PepsiCo, is credited for boosting sales and profits at Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut while president of the restaurant division. Ladder climbing: 1988-1991, division vice president, Pizza Hut West; 1991-1993, CEO and president, KFC International; 1993-1995, president and COO, PepsiCo Restaurants International. Schooling: M.B.A., Tuck School, Dartmouth College; B.A., Rutgers University. Biggest recent accomplishment: Helped boost profits by 30% at PepsiCo restaurant division in 1995. Mentor: Cites none but praises Pizza Hut's Alan Houston and PepsiCo's Roger Enrico as "great bosses." First job in foodservice: Burger cook at Gino's restaurant in Union, N.J., age 16. What the future holds: Predicts Boston Market will make Fortune's annual list of country's ten most admired companies.