Nike exec headed to Papa John’s C-suite

Papa John’s International has found its new finance chief.

The pizza delivery chain has appointed Ravi Thanawala as CFO, effective July 24.  Chris Collins, who served as the interim principal financial and accounting Officer and finance team leader since March, will resume his role as VP of tax and treasury.

Thanawala  joins Papa Johns from Nike, where he spent seven years, most recently serving  as CFO of Nike North America, its largest division, with fiscal year 2022 revenue of approximately $18 billion.

Prior to Nike, Thanawala spent eight years at Ann Inc., with progressively increasing responsibilities in finance and operations. He served in the finance leadership role for Loft, led Ann Inc.’s Asia operations, global logistics and international trade based in Hong Kong, and eventually became CFO of the Ann Inc. business, a subsidiary of Ascena Retail Group.

“Ravi is a multi-faceted leader who brings a combination of strategic financial leadership experience, operational acumen and international expertise,” said Rob Lynch, president and CEO of Papa Johns. “Ravi’s proven track record of leading companies with diversified business models and robust e-commerce platforms will be key to enabling our continued growth through both our corporate-owned and franchisee-led restaurants.”

During his time at Nike, Thanawala also served as the global VP and CFO of the Converse brand, which included working within a franchise model that comprised most of the brand’s international business. In addition, he was the global VP of Retail Excellence, overseeing the brand’s performance across its business channels of franchises, licenses, direct to consumer and wholesale during a time of digital transformation for the business.

“Papa Johns is a proven leader in the pizza delivery segment with its people-first culture, differentiated brand and innovative mindset,” said Thanawala. “The company’s vast whitespace available for development in the U.S. and internationally, a focus on operational excellence and a strong financial position make Papa Johns well-positioned to achieve long-term, profitable growth for the benefit of all of its stakeholders.”

 Papa Johns is co-headquartered in Atlanta, and Louisville, Ky., and has more than 5,700 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories.