Who’s News: Papa John’s Appoints Todd Penegor as President and CEO

By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Papa John’s International has appointed experienced industry executive, Todd Penegor, as its new CEO, president and member of its board of directors.
Launched in 1984, Papa John’s International is a US-based pizza delivery chain that uses fresh, high-quality ingredients to create its pizza products.
The Papa Johns restaurant franchise currently operates more than 5,900 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories around the world.
“I am honored to serve as chief executive officer of Papa Johns and work with the board, our dedicated team members and franchisees to usher in the company’s next chapter,” said Penegor. “By consistently delivering on the Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. brand promise, Papa Johns already has the best pizza in the industry. I am committed to providing exceptional customer experiences across all of our offerings and touchpoints to ensure we unlock the full potential of Papa Johns’ differentiated market position,” added Penegor. “Papa Johns has an exceptional foundation in place, and I’m confident in our ability to win in the QSR space.”
Prior to joining Papa John’s, Penegor served at The Wendy’s Company as president and CEO from 2016 to 2024 and as Wendy’s CFO from 2013 to 2016.
During his tenure at Wendy’s, the company achieved substantial growth in sales, earnings and new restaurant counts.
Throughout his 20 year career in the industry, he has also held a variety of key leadership roles at both Kellogg’s and Ford Motors.
Penegor holds a BA in accounting and a masters degree of business administration in finance from Michigan State University.
“Todd’s appointment as president and chief executive officer successfully concludes an extensive search to identify a proven leader who has the experience, skills and vision to achieve the full potential of the Papa Johns brand and accelerate growth,” said Papa Johns chair, Christopher Coleman. “Todd has an outstanding record of leading winning teams and scaling franchised operations globally through trusted partnerships, product innovation and digital transformation. He has also demonstrated his ability to effectively allocate capital, drive value and enhance profitability,” added Coleman. “We are excited to welcome Todd to Papa Johns and look forward to his contributions as we work to create significant, sustainable value for our shareholders and franchisees.”
Penegor is taking over the position of CEO from Ravi Thanawala, who has served as interim CEO at the company since March 2024.
Thanawala will continue in his original role as chief financial officer following Peneger’s new appointment.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I thank Ravi for leading the company during this transition period as interim chief executive officer over the past five months,” said Coleman. “We are grateful for his leadership and dedication to Papa Johns, and for his continued service as chief financial officer.”
In addition to his new role on Papa John’s executive board, Penegor currently serves on the board of directors for Ball Corporation and Dutch Bros Inc.