Papa Johns taps former Wendy's leader as new CEO
Papa John’s International, Inc. has a new president and CEO.
Todd Penegor has been appointed to the roles at the pizza giant effective immediately, in addition to joining the company’s board of directors. He succeeds Ravi Thanawala, who has served as interim CEO since March 2024 and will continue in his role as chief financial officer. Thanawala’s appoint followed Papa Johns CEO Rob Lynch departing the company to become CEO of Shake Shack.
Penegor is an industry veteran with 20 years of experience in restaurant and consumer goods industries. He most recently served as president and CEO of The Wendy’s Company, a position he held from 2016 to February of this year. During his tenure, Wendy’s expanded its footprint to more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide and notched 12 consecutive years of same-restaurant sales growth.
“Todd’s appointment as president and CEO 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. He has also demonstrated his ability to effectively allocate capital, drive value and enhance profitability.”
Prior to Wendy’s, Penegor held key leadership roles at Kellogg Company from 2000 to 2013, including president of U.S. snacks, chief financial officer of Kellogg Europe, chief financial officer of Kellogg Snacks and VP of global financial planning and strategy. Before joining Wendy’s, Penegor held various roles at Ford Motor Company from 1989 to 2000.
“I am honored to serve as CEO of Papa Johns and work with the board, our dedicated team members and franchisees to usher in the company’s next chapter,” said Penegor. “By consistently delivering on the ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.’ brand promise, Papa Johns already has the best pizza in the industry. 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.”
[READ MORE: Papa Johns to add 50 new stores through new agreement]
Co-headquartered in Atlanta and Louisville, Papa Johns is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,900 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories.
