Papa John’s International has named as new president and chief executive Todd Penegor, who leaves the same positions he has held at The Wendy’s Company, officials said Thursday.
Prior to Wendy’s, Penegor had held “key leadership roles” at Kellogg Co. and Ford Motor Co., the company said.
Penegor was named after “an extensive search” to find someone who could promote the company’s brand and also “accelerate growth,” said Christopher Coleman, chair of the Papa John’s board of directors, in a statement.
Penegor succeeds Ravi Thanawala, who has been interim CEO since March, when the previous top executive, Rob Lynch, left the company for another job. Thanawala will continue in his role as chief financial officer, according to the company.
The company, which has headquarters in Atlanta and Louisville, last year had sales of $2.1 billion and net income of $82.1 million. Papa John’s is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,900 restaurants in about 50 countries, according to the company.
Founder John Schnatter started the company in 1984. In 2017, he resigned from the CEO position after a controversy around his criticism of pro football for its tolerance of player protests over racial injustice. He remained chairman, but resigned the next year after an incident in which he reportedly used racist language.
