Leadership

Potbelly, MOD Pizza add new CFOS

The industry veterans join the fast-casual chains during a time of massive disruption due to COVID-19.
Photograph: Shutterstock

Two fast-casual chains announced the addition of new chief financial officers to their C-suites this week.

Chicago-based sandwich brand Potbelly Corp. appointed Steven Cirulis as CFO and chief strategy officer.

MOD Super-Fast Pizza Holdings announced the appointment of Josh Guenser, a Starbucks veteran, as CFO.

At Potbelly, Cirulis will lead the company’s financial and strategy functions, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, tax, treasury, investor relations and enterprise procurement. Most recently, Cirulis was senior vice president of strategic projects for Panera Bread. He has worked for a number of retail chains and also was the global vice president of corporate strategy for McDonald’s.

Cirulis, who joined the chain in December in a consulting role, said he is pleased to take on enhanced responsibility during a “pivotal” time for the company.

“I spent the last few months engaging with employees and customers to develop a deeper understanding of our business and the challenges we currently face, especially in the current environment,” he said in a statement.

Guenser comes to MOD Pizza after more than a decade with Starbucks, most recently as senior vice president of finance for the Americas group. At MOD, he will oversee financial operations, fiscal responsibility, reporting and accounting for the Seattle-based chain.

“This is an unprecedented time in the restaurant industry, and we are confident that Josh will be a major contributor to ensuring that MOD is well-positioned to emerge from the crisis stronger than before,” Scott Svenson, the chain’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.

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