Panera Bread, a fast-casual restaurant, announced that Santhosh Kumar has joined the company as chief innovation officer, effective February 12, reporting to Interim CEO Paul Carbone. Kumar will lead the company’s technology organization, responsible for the development, integration and deployment of technology across more than 2,200 Panera cafes. In his new role, he will partner with the Panera Bread leadership team and franchisees to drive a team member and guest experience.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Santhosh to the Panera Bread leadership team,” says Carbone. “As the technology landscape continues to evolve, Santhosh brings the right combination of strategic technology expertise, industry experience, and proven ability to build high-performing teams that will help drive Panera’s continued success.”

A seasoned IT executive and expert in digital transformation, Kumar brings deep expertise in core application modernization, retail POS and in-store systems and electronic payment technologies. He joins Panera from United Natural Food, Inc. (UNFI), where he led a multi-year warehouse transformation program and cloud modernization and migrations resulting in significant operational efficiencies and cost savings for the company. Prior to UNFI, Kumar spent nearly 21 years at Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., including as SVP of IT, leading the IT team globally through several retail and digital innovation initiatives. This included the rollout of new point-of-sale and back-office systems across all USA restaurants; as well as the development and launch of Dunkin’s loyalty program.

“Panera Bread has a strong history as a technology leader in the restaurant industry,” says Kumar. “I am proud to join an already outstanding team and to continue Panera’s relentless focus on creating the most seamless and efficient experience for our team members and guests.”

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