Papa Johns Appoints Global Chief Marketing Officer

Chris Lyn-Sue has been appointed Global Chief Marketing Officer of Papa Johns, following the departure of Jenna Bromberg. 

Chris, who has spent close to four years with the company, has held several marketing leadership roles at Papa Johns – including a stint as Interim Chief Marketing Officer for the US.

His appointment comes with several changes to the Papa Johns leadership team, which the company says is to further support its transformation plan after deciding against selling the business. 

These other appointments include:

• John Matter, formerly Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Interim Head of North American Development taking on a newly created role of Global Chief Development Officer and Assistant Corporate Secretary.
• Caroline Miller Oyler, currently Chief Administrative Officer, becoming the company’s Chief Legal and Administrative Officer.
• Chris Phylactou, Managing Director of UK, Europe and Canada becoming Senior Vice President, International.

“Papa Johns is focused on advancing our strategic transformation, and we believe these appointments will help us deliver on that objective,” says Todd Penegor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Papa Johns.

“Chris, John, Caroline and Chris are tremendous leaders whose leadership and expertise have contributed to the progress we have made on several of our key priorities, including building momentum in our international business, optimising our restaurant portfolio, supporting our global franchisee base and enabling efficiency and closer collaboration across teams. 

“We are confident they bring the discipline, focus and operational insight required to position Papa Johns for improved performance in 2027 and beyond.”

Building brand growth

Chris first joined Papa Johns in 2022 as a Vice President of Marketing, with a focus on building brand awareness through marketing communications and product development in international markets. 

From there, he took on a series of leadership roles within the company, such as Global Head of Marketing, Interim US CMO in 2024 and, most recently, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, International. This most recent role involved a focus on bringing the global brand back to growth. 

According to the company, Chris has been “instrumental” in advancing the company’s international expansion and brand evolution – boasting seven consecutive quarters of positive international comparable sales. 

Before joining Papa Johns, Chris spent close to two years at Restaurant Brands International as the Global Marketing Lead for Popeyes and 12 years at Bacardi – first as an Assistant Brand Manager for Tequilas, before progressing to a role as Brand Director, Americas, for Grey Goose. 

Transformation at Papa Johns

Chris’s appointment comes alongside the news that Papa Johns has decided to focus on turnaround efforts after an 18-month strategic review. This review, the company shared in its Q2 earnings call, involved considering a range of alternatives for the business – including a potential sale of the company. 

According to the company, the decision not to sell was made because the Papa Johns’ transformation plan offers the biggest opportunity for growth and shareholder value, say the company’s advisors. 

“We thoroughly explored whether alternative opportunities were available, including a potential sale of the business,” Todd said on the earnings call.

“We have been well advised in these efforts, supported by our financial and legal advisors. This work has made clear that for Papa John's, the value creation opportunity that is actionable is the execution of our transformation plan. Of course, the board remains open to other alternatives to maximise value.”