Taco Bell CEO Brian Niccol Leaves to Take CEO Position at Chipotle Chipotle cofounder and current CEO, Steve Ells, announced the news on Tuesday. "His expertise in digital technologies, restaurant operations and branding make him a perfect fit for Chipotle as we seek to enhance our customer experience, drive sales growth and make our brand more relevant." Niccol first joined Taco Bell in 2011 as its chief marketing and innovation officer. Chipotle announced back in November that Ells would be stepping down as the company looked for someone with "demonstrated turnaround expertise." The fast-casual taco and burrito chain has been struggling for the past two years following a serious E. coli outbreak.