ATLANTA — Papa John’s International Inc. appointed Kevin Vasconi as chief digital and technology officer, effective Sept. 9. In his new role, Vasconi will be responsible for guiding the development and execution of Papa John’s long-term strategy across the entire digital and technology ecosystem, including customer-facing, restaurant and corporate technology.
Vasconi will oversee enterprise architecture, engineering, data analytics, enterprise technology, information security and the advancement of scalable, cost-effective technology capabilities for the franchise system globally. He will work closely with the marketing team and restaurant operations to develop innovative solutions to deliver superior quality pizza to Papa Johns customers worldwide.
Vasconi will report to Todd Penegor, president and chief executive officer of Papa Johns, and serve on the Papa Johns executive leadership team.
“Kevin and I worked together at The Wendy’s Co., where I experienced first-hand his ability to lead technology innovation that delivered significant impact for our customers, team members and franchisees,” Penegor said. “His experience spans a number of industries, though his leadership in QSR, in particular, has been recognized in the industry and has served as an inspiration for other peers in our category. I look forward to Kevin’s partnership across our leadership team to build on the success Papa Johns has had in the digital space, while also leveraging technology to develop even better platforms, partnerships and systems to enable us to build for the future.”
Most recently, Vasconi served as chief information officer for The Wendy’s Co., where he tripled its e-commerce business over three years through a customer-centric focus that leveraged technology to build brand loyalty. Previously, he worked at Domino’s for eight years, serving as executive vice president and chief information officer. Vasconi has had a career in technology spanning over 35 years.
“I am excited to join the talented team at Papa Johns and lead our technology strategy as we look to create great experiences for our customers and team members around the globe,” Vasconi said. “I have a passion for the restaurant industry, where I’ve spent the past 12 years of my career, because of our ability to impact so many consumers through technology every day.
“Papa Johns is a brand I’ve admired given its continued innovation in the technology space. With the digital space in QSR becoming more competitive than ever, there’s both great challenge and opportunity ahead. I’m looking forward to working with the executive team and our technology team to unlocking growth for Papa Johns.”
Additional changes to the current executive leadership team include the expanded roles of Ravi Thanawala and Joe Sieve, effective immediately.
Thanawala has been named chief financial officer and executive vice president, International. Through his expanded position, he will now manage the company’s international business, which includes markets outside of the United States and Canada, along with his CFO responsibilities.
Sieve has been appointed chief restaurant and global development officer. He will now oversee all global development, as well as corporate and franchise restaurant operations.