The first of two new appointments to UNC-Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees was made recently, as the UNC System Board of Governors made its selection of Ritch Allison to replace Dave Boliek.

Allison — who was formally selected on Thursday and announced Friday by the system’s flagship university — will fill the seat left vacant when Boliek was elected as North Carolina’s auditor in the fall, completing the partial term set to run through the summer of 2027.

“As someone who is so deeply passionate about Carolina, I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to continue to give back to the University,” said Allison. “As our nation’s first public university, Carolina has a long history of excellence. I am excited to work with the board and with Chancellor Roberts to serve the people of our state and the country through outstanding teaching, research and public service.”

Allison is a double Tar Heel, having graduated from UNC in 1989 and returned for his master’s degree in business administration in 1995. He is mostly widely known for his time as the CEO of Domino’s Pizza Inc., holding the role from 2018 to 2022 after first joining the pizza giant’s international division in 2011. Prior to that, he worked with the management consulting firm Bain & Company for 13 years. Currently, he sits on the Boards of Directors for Starbucks and the consumer health company Kenvue.

Serving on UNC’s Board of Trustees will be the latest example of Allison’s involvement with the university. He recently departed the advisory board for the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School after serving as its chair for two years, and he and his wife Susan established a four-year scholarship for four assured admissions students who go through the school’s undergraduate business program. Both first-generation college graduates, Ritch and Susan also created the Allison Mentorship program to help provide professional development and support for all students who are interested in majoring or minoring in business at Carolina.

With Allison’s appointment, the UNC Board of Trustees has just one other vacancy to fill to round out its 15 members. Brad Briner, who was elected as North Carolina’s treasurer, departed at the same time as Boliek. He was an appointment of North Carolina Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger in 2023, whose office gets to choose the replacement to finish the four-year term.

Allison’s appointment was effective immediately as of Jan. 30, meaning he is likely to be sworn in at the board’s upcoming meetings on March 19-20.

Featured photo via UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

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