people

Birmingham, Ala. — Books-A-Million has promoted Damian Doggett to the position of senior vice president and chief accounting officer. “This promotion is a recognition of Damian’s years of strong and creative leadership of our accounting, tax and payroll departments, along with his critical role in supporting our transition to new technology platforms,” says Terrance G. Finley, chief executive officer of Books-A-Million. “It is gratifying to have someone of Damian’s experience and dedication in a position to help us meet the evolving challenges and tremendous opportunities in the years ahead.” Since …

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Irvine, Calif. — Tilly’s, Inc. and its board of directors have appointed Hezy Shaked, the company’s co-founder and executive chairman of the board, as its president and chief executive officer. “As the co-founder of this 42-year-old company, there is no one who cares about it more deeply than I do,” Shaked says. “I remain fully committed and enthusiastic about making every effort to work toward improving our business.” Shaked had been serving as the company’s interim president and chief executive officer since January 21, 2024, and served as president and …

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Melbourne, Fla. — USSI Global has added an experienced AV and digital signage professional to its leadership team as the company prepares for business growth in a thriving industry sector. Christina Murgo joins USSI Global’s Digital Signage and Technology Group as director of sales and business development, effective immediately. She reports to Amanda Flynn, chief revenue officer. USSI Global’s holistic approach to project management covers an entire spectrum of services that brings the world’s largest digital signage projects to life. The company’s thoughtful structure positions it as among the few …

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Atlanta — Papa John’s International, Inc. has appointed Kevin Vasconi to chief digital and technology officer. He brings proven enterprise technology leadership to the company, having most recently served as chief information officer for The Wendy’s Company. While at Wendy’s, Vasconi led the team to triple its e-commerce business in 3 years through a consumer-centric approach, leveraging technology to build loyalty with Wendy’s customers. In his new role, Vasconi will be responsible for guiding the development and execution of Papa Johns long term strategy across the entire digital and technology …

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Fort Worth, Texas — Mr Gatti’s Pizza has promoted two key executives. Travis Smith has been promoted to executive vice president, and Ryan Morris has been promoted to senior vice president of real estate and general counsel. “Travis and Ryan have demonstrated incredible dedication and played key roles in our brand’s success,” says Jim Philips, CEO of Mr Gatti’s Pizza. “With Travis focused on increasing the brand’s presence and revenue and Ryan leading our Walmart project, we know we are in great hands. These promotions are a testament to our …

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Dallas — Nothing Bundt Cakes, the nation’s largest specialty cake company and a rapidly expanding franchisor, continues to build out its senior leadership team with the appointment of a new chief operations officer, Wanda Williams.  Williams joins Nothing Bundt Cakes from Yum! Brands, where she served as head of global franchising. In that role, she led overall franchise system management and franchisee relations across four major brands, working with over 1,500 franchisees. Prior to that, she was vice president of operations at Pizza Hut, responsible for enhancing the restaurant and delivery experience …

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Farmers Branch, Texas — National optical retailer Eyemart Express has hired Aaron Cho to join the executive team as chief financial officer. Cho comes to Eyemart Express after serving as CFO of tech-enabled durable medical equipment provider Synapse Health. A strategic finance and operations veteran throughout the health care landscape, he previously held executive financial roles at Eyecare Services Partners; Access Dental Services, a subsidiary of Guardian Life Insurance; and Surgical Care Affiliates. Cho has also worked for CAPCO and Ernst & Young. “Aaron will be a key player in …

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Atlanta — Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., a leading specialty retailer of hard surface flooring, has announced that its president, Trevor Lang, intends to retire from Floor & Decor. The company is undertaking a search for his successor. “Trevor has been a key partner of mine in leading Floor & Decor,” says Tom Taylor, CEO of Floor & Decor. “He has been an important part of our growth, and we would not be where we are today without his leadership of so many aspects of our business. I’m grateful that …

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Redding, Calif. — Black Bear Diner, a leading full-service family dining concept known for its cabin-themed dining experience, has appointed Art Kilmer as chief operations officer (COO), replacing Jeff Guido, who retired on Aug. 14. This strategic hire underscores the company’s commitment to operational excellence and positions Black Bear Diner for continued expansion. Kilmer brings over two decades of restaurant industry experience, most recently serving as COO for P.F. Chang’s for 6 years, where he was responsible for more than 200 domestic restaurants and worked with more than 95 international …

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Moonachie, N.J. — Paris Baguette, the renowned global bakery café franchise with over 170 locations across the U.S., has welcomed Norm Ginsberg to the team as its new vice president of operations. After 17 years with Bowlero, working his way up to key leadership positions, Ginsberg has developed a keen sense of what it means to always deliver the best possible experience through proper recruiting, training and operational systems. Ginsberg will oversee all operations aspects of Paris Baguette’s expanding network, focusing on maintaining the elevated guest experience, streamlining operations and …

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