Dive Brief:
- Papa Johns appointed Amanda Clark, currently chief international and development officer, as chief operating officer, international, the company said in a press release Wednesday.
- Joe Sieve, who became chief restaurant officer May 2022, will assume North American development responsibilities. He will continue to lead corporate and franchise restaurant operations on the continent. Both appointments are effective Sept. 18.
- Papa Johns has made several executive appointments this year, including CFO, CMO, chief corporate affairs officer and SVP of development.
Dive Insight:
Clark’s transition comes as the company invests in its international organization and infrastructure, CEO Rob Lynch said. Clark joined Papa Johns in 2020 as chief development officer. At the time, she was tasked with overseeing the chain’s expansion in North America and international markets. Her past experience includes nearly six years at Taco Bell and about a decade at Procter & Gamble in various leadership positions, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Since Clark joined Papa Johns, the pizza chain has grown from 5,360 systemwide units as of the end of Q3 2020 to 5,780 units in Q2 2023. In September 2021, the company signed its largest domestic franchise deal ever with Sun Holdings to develop 100 stores in high-growth markets in Texas by 2029. The company is on track to open 270 to 320 net new units this year.
“Amanda’s focus on executing this work and driving profitable expansion will greatly benefit our international franchisees,” Lynch said in a statement. “Our ultimate goal is to become the QSR pizza brand of choice for international franchisees.”
As chief restaurant officer, Sieve has been responsible for overseeing operations at company-owned and franchise units in North America. When he joined the chain last year, he brought 20 years of experience in restaurant operations and has experience at companies like Inspire Brands and Domino’s.
“Since Joe joined Papa Johns last year, he and his team have significantly improved our restaurant operations,” Lynch said. “The results of these operational efficiencies have been evident in the recent comp growth and margin improvement across our domestic system.”
