Dive Brief:

• Papa John's International has named Ann Gugino, former senior vice president of financial planning and analysis at Target, its new CFO, effective immediately, the company announced Monday. Steve Coke, who had been serving as interim principal financial and accounting officer, will remain with the fast casual pizza chain as its vice president of investor relations and strategy.
• The pizza chain's previous CFO, Joe Smith, stepped down in March after two years. He was one of several Papa John's executives to leave the company as it updated its management structure to "align with a new strategy" following founder and former CEO John Schnatter's acrimonious departure amid racist remarks. 
• "Ann is a proven leader and change agent, who brings deep experience in the consumer and retail sector, including driving demand and profitability across digital and traditional commerce at Target," Papa John's president and CEO Rob Lynch said in the release.

Dive Insight:

Gugino comes to Papa John's from her senior FP&A role at Target, a position in which she also oversaw capital investment portfolios.

Prior to Target, Gugino spent six years at business supplies and equipment provider Patterson Companies, including four years as CFO, according to her LinkedIn page. In that role, Gugino led Patterson through a major portfolio transformation, including a major acquisition and divestiture, and spearheaded an enterprise-wide effort to improve net margins and create a more efficient cost structure, Papa John's said in the release.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Papa John's last month announced plans to move its leadership and many of its corporate functions to Atlanta. Its new global headquarters will handle menu creation, marketing, HR, communications and development, while supply chain, IT, and legal will remain in Louisville.

"As a financial executive, my ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels enables me to provide guidance on strategy and key decisions in a balanced and calculated way," Gugino writes on her page. "By leveraging my deep expertise in finance and business transformation, I have experience leading organizations through significant change including CEO and leadership transitions, implementing large-scale ERP systems and redefining enterprise strategy for accelerated growth."

There are 5,300 Papa John's restaurants in 48 countries and territories.

Representatives for Papa John's and for Gugino declined requests for comment.