Grismer served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Advisor to the CEO at Seattle-based Starbucks 2018-2021 and has served on Panera Brands’ Board of Directors since 2022
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Grismer (pictured) served as Starbucks Chief Financial Officer 2018- 2021 | Photo credit: Starbucks
Fast-casual hospitality group Panera Brands has appointed former Starbucks Chief Financial Officer Patrick Grismer as Chair of its Board of Directors.
The JAB Holding Company-backed group, which operates the Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. chains, said Grismer’s restaurant industry experience will guide the business through its next phase of growth.
Grismer has served on Panera Brands’ Board of Directors since 2022, including as Audit Committee Chair and Lead Independent Director since 2023.
He held Chief Financial Officer roles Hyatt Hotels and US restaurant group Yum! Brands before taking on the same role at Seattle-based Starbucks in November 2018. Grismer, who also served as Senior Advisor to then Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, left the US coffee chain in May 2021 to take up a CFO in Residence position at IT consultancy EY.
“We are incredibly pleased to announce Pat’s appointment as Board Chair at a key inflection point in Panera’s long-term growth trajectory,” said José Alberto Dueñas, CEO, Panera Brands.
Panera Brands has also appointed former Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno to its Board of Directors. Deno, who also sits on the board of North Carolina-based Krispy Kreme, will assume the role of Audit Committee Chair with immediate effect.
Prior to serving as CEO at Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s Steakhouse, Deno previously held Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer roles at Yum! Brands, Pizza Hut and Yum! Restaurants International.
Panera Brands currently operates 2,200 Panera Bread stores in North America and 800 Caribou Coffee outlets across 11 markets globally. Einstein Bros. currently has over 900 stores across its Einstein Bros. Bagels, Bruegger’s Bagels, Noah’s New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel brands.