BLAINE HURST

BUILD A BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION CULTURE

Blaine Hurst, recently retired CEO of Panera Bread, is a four-time Fast Casual Mover and Shaker, and one of highest-impact restaurant leaders of recent times, leading two of the largest restaurant companies in the U.S.

At Panera, he led the team that revolutionized guest experience through technology and rolled out one of the largest loyalty program in the industry. He and his team also grew Panera’s catering business to be the largest in the nation.

As President of Papa John’s in the 90’s, he oversaw its rapid growth from 450 stores to nearly 3,000 in the U.S. and 9 international markets, and rolled out the first online ordering system available nationwide for any restaurant chain, generating more than $1 billion of annual revenue.

Blaine currently is the Vice Chairman and an advisor to Panera Bread, along with a co-founder of Composite Ventures, a venture fund focused on the future of retail and restaurant tech. He also serves as an advisor to several early restaurant and technology companies, is a member of several boards, holds eight patents, and is widely regarded as a thought leader for restaurants, technology, big data, leadership and diversity and inclusion. Much of his work today is inspired by his son David, a special gifts young man of 32.