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American Eagle Outfitters Names Papa John's Finance Chief as New CFO

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American Eagle Outfitters Names Papa John's Finance Chief as New CFO

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) named Papa John's International (PZZA) Chief Financial Officer Ravi Thanawala as its finance chief, succeeding Mike Mathias, who will transition to a strategic advisory role.

Thanawala will assume the role effective Aug. 3, the clothing retailer said late Wednesday. Mathias, who has served with the company for 25 years, will become a full-time non-executive strategic advisor to American Eagle Chief Executive Jay Schottenstein.

"We are pleased to welcome Ravi Thanawala to the executive team," Schottenstein said in a statement. "His extensive retail background, dynamic leadership style and proven track record of delivering operational excellence for consumer-facing brands will position us well for long-term success."

Mathias will collaborate closely with Thanawala through the rest of American Eagle's 2026 fiscal year and continue supporting Schottenstein through July 30, 2027.

Before joining Papa John's in 2023, Thanawala served as CFO of Nike (NKE) North America and previously held finance leadership positions at Converse and ANN. Thanawala also served as Papa John's interim CEO from March 2024 to August 2024.

In a separate statement, Papa John's said Chris Collins, senior vice president of corporate finance, has been appointed interim chief financial officer, effective immediately.

The pizza chain has begun a search for a permanent CFO, while Thanawala will remain in an advisory capacity through July 31 to support a smooth transition.

Shares of Papa John's edged down 0.2% in the most recent premarket activity, while American Eagle declined 1%.

"Chris is a proven finance leader with deep knowledge of the company and the opportunities we are pursuing to maximize shareholder value," Papa John's CEO Todd Penegor said. "I am confident that Chris's support in this interim role along with our talented team will enable continued execution on our transformation priorities."

Additionally, Marc Richard has assumed responsibility for all Papa John's North America operations, including those previously overseen by Thanawala in his role as President. Richard currently serves as senior vice president of North America operations.

American Eagle also reiterated its second-quarter and full-year outlook issued in May. The guidance included mid-to-high-single-digit growth in comparable sales for the second quarter and a mid-single-digit increase for the metric in fiscal 2026.

"I am excited to partner with Jay and leadership to accelerate long-term strategic initiatives, maintain financial discipline and unlock new avenues for profitable growth that will help to maximize value for our shareholders," Thanawala said.

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