St. Louis — Panera Bread, a leader and pioneer in the fast-casual restaurant industry, has appointed Earl Ellis as chief financial officer, effective immediately. Ellis will report to CEO Paul Carbone and join the executive leadership team.
“Earl is a proven finance leader who blends disciplined financial stewardship with an owner’s mindset,” says Carbone. “He has scaled complex, multi-brand organizations, led successful transformations and developed high-performing teams. His experience will help accelerate our plan to strengthen the core business, elevate the guest experience and drive long term, profitable growth. Panera is entering a defining phase of evolution, building on our strong foundation, leaning into what makes this brand beloved and sharpening our focus on the future.”
Ellis most recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer at ABM Industries, a Fortune 500 facility services company with more than $8 billion in revenue and over 100,000 employees. During his tenure, he led global finance, accounting, investor relations and procurement, helped shape the company’s strategic plan, executed a multi-year transformation including ERP modernization and supported growth through M&A and capital markets initiatives.
Prior to ABM, Ellis held senior finance leadership roles at Best Buy (including CFO of Best Buy Canada and senior vice president of finance in the U.S.), Canadian Tire, Campbell Soup Company, Kraft Foods and Coca-Cola.
Ellis succeeds Megan Mikolaichik, who has served as interim chief financial officer since January 2025 following Carbone’s transition from CFO to CEO.
Panera’s first bakery-cafe opened in 1987, founded with a secret sourdough starter and the belief that the best part of bread is sharing it. As of September 30, 2025 there were 2,231 cafes, company and franchise, in 48 states and Washington D.C., and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast-casual restaurant companies in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels. For more information, visit www.panerabread.com.
SOURCE: Panera Bread