Ann Gugine named chief financial officer at Papa Johns

Papa John’s Hires Chief Financial Officer

Oct 5, 2020

Former Target Exec Joins Papa John’s as Chief Financial Officer

Proven leader with over 20 years of financial management, planning and strategic experience, including in the consumer and retail sector

LOUISVILLE, Ky.– (BUSINESS WIRE) — Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) announced the appointment of Ann Gugino as Chief Financial Officer. Steve Coke, who has been serving as interim principal financial and accounting officer, will continue in his role as Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategy.

Ms. Gugino joins Papa John’s from Target Corporation and brings over 20 years of financial management, planning and strategic expertise. As a key member of Papa John’s Executive Leadership Team, she will help build and implement the company’s long-term plans for profitable growth and shareholder value creation.

“After a careful search for a candidate whose values, passion and expertise align with Papa John’s core values and business needs, I’m thrilled to welcome Ann Gugino to our team. 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,” said Rob Lynch, President and CEO. “Ann’s appointment rounds out one of the most capable and diverse leadership teams in our industry. The breadth and depth of our team’s strengths, backgrounds and perspectives are crucial advantages for Papa John’s and essential to our long-term innovation and growth plans. Last, I want to thank Steve Coke for providing a seamless transition as interim CFO and leading the finance team during such a momentous period for the company while we conducted this search.”

Commenting on her new role, Ann Gugino said, “I’m both humbled and excited to join such a dynamic and dedicated team at this important moment for the company. Papa John’s transformation into a values-driven, innovative category leader has opened an enormous global opportunity. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to help set a long-term path and plan to maximize our growth and potential for the benefit of all of our stakeholders.”

Most recently at Target Corporation, Ms. Gugino served as Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis, providing overall strategy, guidance and direction in the development and execution of Target’s planning, analysis and capital investment portfolios. Prior to that, Ms. Gugino spent 18 years at publicly held Patterson Companies Inc., including four years as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In that role, Ms. Gugino led the company 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, among other accomplishments.

Read the full press release here. See coverage of the successful placement in Hunt Scanlon Media here.

ON Partners consultants Tim Conti, Josh Nathanson and Bryan Buck are proud to have partnered with Papa John’s and Ann Gugino on this successful placement. View more of ON’s recent success in placing high-level Chief Financial Officers here.

About Papa John’s

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. Papa John’s believes that using high quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa John’s tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa John’s is headquartered in Louisville, KY and is the world’s third largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,300 restaurants in 48 countries and territories as of June 28, 2020. For more information about the Company or to order pizza online, visit www.PapaJohns.com or download the Papa John’s mobile app for iOS or Android.

About ON Partners

ON Partners propels an organization’s mission by building C-level and board leadership teams. Founded in 2006 by like-minded consultants as a values-driven alternative to the multi-service global firms they were leaving behind, ON delivers a better executive search experience. Named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms and to the Inc. 500/5000 Lists seven times, the firm is consistently ranked among the top 20 retained executive search firms in the U.S.

Follow our work, updates and recent success on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Find our related successful placements of leading executives here.

About ON Partners

In a high-tech world, our difference is human. ON Partners is a pure-play retained executive search firm building C-level and board leadership teams for high-growth private and public companies, private equity, and venture capital.

With a partner-led, high-touch model, clients gain direct access to seasoned partners who lead every search from day one to day done. Our boutique structure enables speed, agility, and precision. This hands-on approach fosters a deep understanding of client needs, delivers elite talent quickly, and ensures unmatched responsiveness.

ON Partners is the most referred executive search firm in the industry. And the numbers back it up— 85% of our clients return, 95% of new business comes from referrals, and clients and candidates rate their experience with us 4.9 out of 5.

Consistently ranked among the top 20 retained executive search firms in the U.S., ON Partners has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms and has appeared on the Inc. 500/5000 List nine times.

Our Approach Works.

Contact Us

Papa John’s Hires Chief Financial Officer