Papa John’s International Inc. has appointed former Taco Bell executive vice president Amanda Clark as the pizza company’s new chief development officer, replacing Timothy O’Hern, who left the company in 2018 in the middle of the scandal involving founder and ex-CEO John Schnatter.
In her new position, Clark will be in charge of expanding the Papa John’s restaurant footprint, overseeing franchise development and sales, building design and new concepts, and providing support to existing restaurants.
“Amanda is a passionate leader with a proven track record of driving growth at one of the restaurant industry’s biggest success stories over the past 10 years,” said Papa John’s president and CEO Rob Lynch in a statement. “I had the pleasure of working with Amanda during my time at both Procter & Gamble and Taco Bell, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to Papa John’s. Her energy, ideas and expertise will help us to achieve our goal of driving continued net unit growth through expansion in both the US and around the world.”
Prior to joining Papa John’s, Clark, left, worked at Taco Bell for seven years, where she held various positions, including executive vice president of restaurant experience and head of North America marketing. Before that, she worked for Procter & Gamble.
“I believe Papa John’s is on a path to be one of the great brand turnaround stories, and I’m excited to a be a part of it,” Clark said in a statement. “I’m passionate about helping companies grow. Continuing to open more units is one of the key metrics that define the health of a restaurant brand. I’m looking forward to working with Rob and the leaders of Papa John’s to write the next chapter in the company’s history.”
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