Louisville, Ky. — The president and CEO of Papa John’s International, Inc., Rob Lynch, plans to depart Papa Johns to become CEO of Shake Shack. The board has appointed Ravi Thanawala, current chief financial officer of Papa Johns, as interim CEO. To ensure a smooth transition, Lynch will provide continued support in an advisory role until April 30, 2024. The board is conducting a search to identify a successor for the CEO role.
“I am confident that we have a strong leadership team in place — led by Ravi Thanawala as Interim CEO — to continue to execute our long term strategy as the board takes the necessary time to identify the next CEO for Papa Johns,” says Christopher Coleman, chairman of the board.
Thanawala joined Papa Johns in 2023 as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Papa Johns, he served as chief financial officer of Nike North America, Nike Inc.’s largest division, generating approximately $20 billion in revenue on an annual basis. During his 7 years at Nike, Inc., Thanawala also served as the global vice president and CFO of the Converse brand, executing Nike’s global omnichannel direct-to-consumer strategy and successfully turning around the $3.5 billion dollar Converse brand. Prior to Nike Inc., Thanawala spent 8 years at ANN INC. in finance and operations roles.
Papa John’s International, Inc. first opened in 1984 and is co-headquartered in Atlanta and Louisville, Ky. Papa Johns has more than 5,900 restaurants in 50 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.PapaJohns.com.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: To read our February 2024 cover story on Papa Johns, click here.]
SOURCE: Papa John’s International, Inc.