Papa John's Promotes Three

Papa John’s International Inc. announced three promotions from within the company on its management team: Tim North to senior vice president of North American Operations; Annette Calhoun to vice president of Human Resources; and Dennis Gerstner to division vice president of North Division. North will report to Bill Mitchell in his capacity as president of Global Operations; Calhoun will report to Papa John’s president and COO Jude Thompson; and Gerstner will report to North.

“We are pleased to round out our management team with these talented individuals,” Thompson says. “Tim North and Dennis Gerstner are both talented operators who know the Papa John’s system well and, quite simply, know how to run great pizza restaurants. Annette Calhoun knows our culture and I am confident she will do a great job leading our HR team.”

North has been with Papa John’s since 2005 serving as division vice president of North Division, leading the division’s operations and development efforts that have resulted in increasing market share, development, and profitability. In his new capacity, North will be responsible for overseeing all franchise and corporate operations in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to Papa John’s, North spent most of his career in the foodservice industry, most recently serving as general manager of Northeast U.S. for Pizza Hut from 2003 to 2005.

“Tim North has proven himself to be an outstanding operator who is committed to profitable sales and growth, and who has earned the trust and respect of his peers and franchisees,” Mitchell says. “I look forward to continuing to work with Tim as he spreads his enthusiasm and commitment to the rest of our North American operations.”

Gerstner joined Papa John’s in 2001, and since 2006 has served as vice president of Nontraditional Operations, overseeing expansion and operations in stadium and other nontraditional venues. From 2001 to 2006, he served in various other roles within the company, including vice president OSST, Operations vice president, and director of operations.

Calhoun joined Papa John’s in 1999 and has served in various roles in Human Resources for the company, including senior director of benefits since 2005. Calhoun has more than 18 years of management and human resources experience in various industries including hospitality, legal, and restaurant. Prior to joining Papa John’s, Calhoun served as the head of Human Resources for Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP, a Louisville, Kentucky–based regional law firm, where she was responsible for managing all aspects of the firm’s human resources function.