Papa John’s International Inc has announced the return of Elias Reyna as the company’s new Chief People and Diversity Officer.
Reyna will begin his new position today on 28 November, and lead globally the human resources; diversity, equity and inclusion; talent recruiting and management; total rewards; and employee relations functions, reporting to President and CEO Rob Lynch.
Reyna joins Papa John’s from ABM Industries where he was Vice President Human Resources, Manufacturing and Distribution. At ABM he was a member of the Manufacturing and Distribution senior leadership team where he drove the talent strategy and cultural transformation for a high-growth business.
FIRST LATINO LEADER IN LEADERSHIP TEAM
Prior to ABM, Reyna was Vice President Human Resources and People Services for Papa John’s, where in two years with the company he led the HR function, as well as served as the People Operations lead for the opening of the company’s second headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. During his time at Papa John’s, he also served as interim VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion during a transition period.
“Elias couldn’t be a better culture fit for Papa John’s as he is a model of our core values. His proven leadership experience in our company and his existing relationships with our teams will make him a great asset in this role,” stated President and CEO Rob Lynch. “I’m proud that Elias will be the first Latino leader to join our Executive Leadership Team, already one of the most diverse in the restaurant industry.”
DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY
“One of the highlights of my career was playing a role in the historic cultural transformation of Papa John’s. I’m passionate about the company’s top strategic priority, which is building a culture of leaders who believe in diversity, inclusivity and winning,” shared Reyna. “I’m honoured to be able to lead the continued work Papa Johns is doing to further this priority, working within our company, our supply chain and with our franchisees to be an employer of choice so we can attract and retain the best talent in our industry.”
Reyna brings more than 20 years of human resources, change management, organizational design and culture transformation experience at companies with large, diverse, global employee populations. Most notably, he served in HR management positions at Shell Oil Company, Tesoro Refining and Marketing, and Marathon Petroleum Corporation. He is a graduate of University of St Thomas in Houston, Texas where he earned a BA in business and a masters in international business. He will be based in the Papa John’s Atlanta corporate hub.
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