ST. LOUIS — Panera Brands Inc., which includes the Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. brands, has named Paul Carbone chief executive officer. Carbone has been serving as interim CEO since Jose Alberto Dueñas stepped down as CEO earlier this year.

Carbone has been chief financial officer at Panera Brands since August 2023. Prior to joining Panera Brands he was CFO at SharkNinja, and earlier was CFO at Yeti Coolers. He also has worked as chief operating officer at Talbots and spent more than nine years at Dunkin’ Brands in a variety of roles, including CFO, vice president of strategy and finance, and vice president of financial planning and analysis. Other roles include CFO at Tween Brands, vice president of finance at Victoria’s Secret and founder and sole proprietor of Haymarket Bakery Outlet.

“Paul’s commitment and significant contributions to Panera over the past two years — coupled with his impressive track record of success with both public and private companies in the industry — demonstrate that he has both the experience and the vision to lead the company through a period of transformation,” said Patrick Grismer, chairman of the Panera Brands board. “Paul’s tremendous focus on building talented teams who are passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences and best-in-class franchisee profitability make him the right person to lead Panera into this next chapter of growth.”