USA- American pizza restaurant chain Papa Johns has appointed former Wendy’s CEO Todd Penegor as its new CEO.
Papa Johns announced the appointment takes effect immediately.
Todd, a veteran in the food and beverage sector worked for Wendy’s for more than a decade. He was first appointed its CFO and later as CEO from May 2016 to February 2024. Prior to his tenure at Wendy’s, penegor spent 13 years at Kellog where he worked as the company’s head of snacks.
As Wendy’s CEO, he oversaw the brand’s expansion to more than 7,000 outlets and helped achieve 12 consecutive years of same-store sales growth.
His most notable accomplishment at Wendy’s was the launch of a breakfast platform in March 2020 and the Global Next Gen prototype, which features mobile and delivery shelving, self-order kiosks, a walk-up window, and a pull-ahead spot in Wendy’s drive-thru restaurants.
He left the burger giant when global digital sales grew by 30% year-on-year (YoY) as the company’s loyalty program gained traction in the market.
Papa Johns welcomed the move, praising Todd’s experience and proven track record of growth-oriented leadership approach, which aligns with papa Johns’ aggressive growth strategy for the medium and long term.
Christopher Coleman, Chairman of Papa Johns’ Board of Directors, said, “Todd’s appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer successfully concludes an extensive search to identify a proven leader who has the experience, skills, and vision to achieve the full potential of the Papa Johns’ brand and accelerate growth.”
Coleman particularly praised Todd’s record of significantly scaling Wendy’s franchise operations worldwide through fostering trusted partnerships, product innovation, and digital transformation.
He also praised Todd’s proven track record of effective capital allocation, enhance profitability and drive value to customers, which he described aligned with Papa Johns’ strategy moving forward.
The new CEO welcomed the appointment, reiterating his commitment to helping Papa Johns achieve its growth objectives through customer-centric strategies.
Penegor said in a statement, “I am honored to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Papa Johns. I am committed to providing exceptional customer experiences across all of our offerings and touchpoints to ensure we unlock the full potential of Papa Johns’ differentiated market position. Papa Johns has an exceptional foundation in place, and I’m confident in our ability to win in the QSR space.”
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