New CFOs at Panera, Snooze and Toppers Pizza and other executive moves

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Panera Bread has a new CFO. Earl Ellis was named to the position this week. He succeeds Megan Mikolaichik, who was serving on an interim capacity since January, following Paul Carbone’s transition from CFO to CEO. Ellis was most recently executive vice president and CFO at ABM Industries, a facility services company.

Earl Ellis. | Photo courtesy of Panera Bread.

Rohit Kapoor is the new executive vice president and chief digital and technology transformation officer at Whataburger. Before joining the San Antonio, Texas-based chain, he was executive vice president and chief information officer at Claire’s. He has also held leadership positions at Starbucks and Yum Brands Inc.

Tyler Loy has been named CFO of the breakfast-and-lunch concept Snooze. Loy comes from The One Group Hospitality, where he was also CFO at a time of growth for that company, including the acquisitions of Benihana and Kona Grill. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at franchise groups Pacific Bells and World Wide Wings, as well as Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, and McCormick & Schmick’s.

The Washington, D.C.-based SeoulSpice Korean Kitchen has bolstered its leadership team with the addition of four new executives, who will support founder and CEO Eric Shin.

Audra Huelsman Zahn has been named president and chief operating officer. Zahn was most recently chief operating officer at La La Land Kind Café, but her experience includes positions at Starbucks, Sephora, Estee Lauder Brands and Shake Shack.

Pamela Haber is SeoulSpice’s new chief development officer. Most recently, Haber was senior director of real estate and development at Sweetgreen, where she spent nine years.

Hannah DePaulis will serve as vice president, marketing at SeoulSpice, after leading the brand development and national marketing team at Capital Tacos. Before that, she spent eight years at Chipotle.

Felipe Martinez is vice president, finance at SeoulSpice. His prior experience includes Tatte Bakery & Café, and ButcherBox.

The Vicious Biscuit chain has named Katie DePoppe as its first director of people and culture. DePoppe will head leadership development, talent strategy and organizational culture. She joins the Mount Pleasant, S.C.-based chain after nine years with Chick-fil-A, where she was executive partner and COO of two South Carolina franchise restaurants.

Toppers Pizza has announced the appointment of Ian Bruggeman to the role of CFO, overseeing finance, supply chain and human resources. Bruggeman has held executive roles at Naf Naf Grill.

Tory Roth is the new chief operating officer for OTG, which develops and operates restaurants and retail markets in airports. Roth was most recently vice president of operations at Restaurant Associates.

Tory Roth | Photo courtesy of OTG.

Nami Modern Korean Steakhouse in Louisville, Kentucky, has named Bryan Emperor to the role of executive chef and managing director. Emperor trained in New York, Beijing and Tokyo, including an apprenticeship under Chef Yoshihiro Murata in Kyoto. 

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