Papa John’s International has reshuffled its senior leadership, naming Ravi Thanawala as chief financial officer (CFO) and president for North America.
Thanawala, who had been serving as the firm’s CFO and international executive vice-president, will now spearhead the group’s North American business in addition to his finance duties.
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His new remit covers development strategies and restaurant operations across the region.
Chris Lyn-Sue will move from the role of senior vice-president (SVP) and head of international markets, to SVP and international general manager.
With the appointments effective immediately, both executives will report directly to president and CEO Todd Penegor.
Thanawala joined the pizza chain from Nike, where he had been the CFO of Nike North America.
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By GlobalDataHe was also the global vice-president and CFO of the Converse brand, and the global vice-president of retail excellence, managing the brand’s performance across business channels including franchises, licences and direct-to-consumer.
Before joining Nike, he worked at apparel retailer Ann Inc.
Penegor stated: “Ravi is a proven leader whose disciplined focus on operating execution, compelling product innovation, and cost management has generated meaningful growth across Papa Johns international business.
“Given his track record […] and his success with consumer brand turnarounds, we are confident that Ravi is the right person to guide our North America business through current headwinds and help accelerate our transformation to deliver greater value for shareholders, customers and franchisees.”
Thanawala became part of Papa John’s as CFO in 2023 and was given responsibility for the international business last year.
He also held the role of CEO on an interim basis from March to August 2024.
Chief restaurant and global development officer Joe Sieve is leaving the company.
The management changes come on the heels of the report of hedge fund manager Irenic Capital Management accumulating a stake in Papa John’s during the third quarter of 2025.
While new stakes by activist hedge funds frequently foreshadow efforts to push management towards strategic alternatives, it remains unclear what specific changes, if any, Irenic plans to pursue at the pizza chain, as reported by Reuters.
