Papa Johns has a new head honcho following an extensive search to replace Rob Lynch, who left the international brand in March 2024.
Papa Johns today announced the appointment of Todd Penegor as president and CEO, with interim CEO Ravi Thanawala continuing in his role as chief financial officer.
Penegor most recently served as president and CEO of Wendy’s from 2016 to 2024 and held the role of Wendy’s CFO from 2013 to 2016. During his tenure, Wendy’s expanded its footprint to more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide and experienced 12 consecutive years of same-restaurant sales growth. Prior to Wendy’s, Penegor held key leadership roles at Kellogg Company and Ford Motor Company.
Penegor has assumed the reins in the midst of Papa Johns’ Back to Better 2.0 plan, designed to evolve the chain’s business model for a new chapter of growth, which includes revamped marketing, expansion into untapped and underserved markets and growth incentives to franchisees.
“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,” said Christopher Coleman, chair of the Papa Johns Board of Directors. “Todd has an outstanding record of leading winning teams and scaling franchised operations globally through trusted partnerships, product innovation and digital transformation.”
Coleman noted that Penegor has proven his ability to “effectively allocate capital, drive value and enhance profitability.”
Penegor said he’s honored to help “usher in the company’s next chapter.”
“By consistently delivering on the ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.’ brand promise, Papa Johns already has the best pizza in the industry,” he said. “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.”
Penegor takes over from Lynch, who left the company to become CEO of Shake Shake. During his stint, Lynch helped spur a remarkable comeback for Papa Johns in the wake of controversies surrounding the brand’s founder, John Schnatter.
