LOUISVILLE, KY. — Joe Smith has been promoted to chief financial officer of Papa John’s International, Inc. Mr. Smith most recently was senior vice-president of global sales and development for the pizza chain.

Mr. Smith joined Papa John’s in 2000 as senior director of corporate budgeting and finance. He was promoted to vice-president of corporate finance in 2005, and in 2010 he took over the role of vice-president of global sales and development. He was named senior vice-president in 2016.

“Joe has had an integral role in the growth of Papa John’s during his 18 years with the company, including 10 years in finance and 8 years in our global development departments,” said Steve Ritchie, president and chief executive officer. “His knowledge and experience position him well to serve as our new c.f.o., particularly given the work underway to evaluate and invest in new opportunities for value creation. I look forward to working with Joe in his new role.”

John Schnatter, founder and chairman of Papa John’s, added, “Joe has demonstrated strong finance skills and integrity in his many years with Papa John’s, and his promotion is well deserved. His extensive knowledge of our company and industry make him the ideal person to lead our finance team.”

Steve Coke, who has been serving as interim principal financial and accounting officer, will continue as vice-president of investor relations and strategy.