Papa John’s International, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Todd Penegor as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Penegor has also joined 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.

Penegor, most recently president and chief executive officer of The Wendy’s Company, is a proven leader with 20 years of experience in the restaurant and consumer goods industries. During his tenure as president and chief executive officer of Wendy’s, the company achieved substantial growth in sales, earnings, and new restaurant counts, including the expansion of Wendy’s footprint to more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide and the 12th consecutive year of same-restaurant sales growth, among other achievements. Prior to Wendy’s, Penegor held key leadership roles at Kellogg Company and Ford Motor Company. Penegor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Michigan State University.

“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,” says 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. We are excited to welcome Todd to Papa Johns and look forward to his contributions as we work to create significant, sustainable value for our shareholders and franchisees.”

“I am honored to serve as chief executive officer 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.”

Coleman continued, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Ravi for leading the Company during this transition period as interim chief executive officer over the past five months. We are grateful for his leadership and dedication to Papa Johns, and for his continued service as chief financial officer.”

Related: Papa John's taps Kurt Milburn as chief supply chain officer