Pittsburgh — After 25 years, Mike Mathias, executive vice president – chief financial officer of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., will transition to full-time non-executive strategic advisor to Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board and chief executive officer, effective Aug. 3, 2026.
AEO’s new CFO, Ravi Thanawala, joins the company from Papa Johns. He will succeed Mathias as executive vice president – chief financial officer, also effective Aug. 3. To ensure a seamless leadership transition, Mathias will collaborate closely with Thanawala through the remainder of AEO’s 2026 fiscal year and continue supporting Schottenstein through July 30, 2027.
“I want to extend my immense appreciation to Mike for his exceptional leadership and dedicated service. Mike’s history with AEO runs incredibly deep. He began his career with the company in 1998, and though his professional journey took him elsewhere for a time, his love for AEO’s brands and people ultimately brought him back in 2017, where his significant impact led to his promotion to CFO in 2020,” says Schottenstein. “Throughout his tenure, he has successfully guided our organization through a rapidly evolving retail landscape and a period of significant growth, which is why I’ve asked Mike to step into the role of strategic advisor to me. Mike’s financial expertise and strategic foresight have been instrumental in strengthening the foundation of our business, driving long-term value and positioning AEO for a bright future.”
Schottenstein continues: “We are pleased to welcome Ravi Thanawala to the executive team. His extensive retail background, dynamic leadership style and proven track record of delivering operational excellence for consumer-facing brands will position us well for long term success.”
Thanawala was appointed chief financial officer and president, North America, of Papa John’s International, Inc. in November 2025 after serving as CFO and EVP, international, since September 2024. Thanawala also served as Papa John’s interim CEO from March 2024 to August 2024, after joining the company as CFO in July 2023. He previously held the role of CFO of Nike North America at Nike, Inc. from June 2020 to July 2023. From 2018 to 2020, Thanawala also served as the global vice president and CFO of the Converse brand. Prior to Nike, Inc., Thanawala spent 8 years at ANN INC.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer with a portfolio of apparel brands including American Eagle, Aerie, OFFL/NE by Aerie, Todd Snyder and Unsubscribed. AEO Inc. operates stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit www.aeo-inc.com.
SOURCE: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.