ST. LOUIS — Panera Bread, a subsidiary of Panera Brands, has named Santhosh Kumar as chief information officer, effective Feb. 12.

In his new role, Kumar will lead the technology organization of Panera Bread, where he will be responsible for the development, integration and deployment of technology across more than 2,200 Panera cafes, the company said. He also will partner with the Panera Bread leadership team and franchisees to “drive an exceptional team member and guest experience.”

Kumar previously worked at United Natural Food, Inc. (UNFI), where he led a multi-year warehouse transformation program as well as cloud modernization and migrations, resulting in significant operational efficiencies and cost savings for the company, Panera Bread said. Kumar also spent nearly 21 years at Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., where he held the position of senior vice president of IT and led the IT team globally through several retail and digital innovation initiatives, including the rollout of new point-of-sale and back-office systems across all US restaurants as well as the development and launch of the Dunkin loyalty program. 

“I’m thrilled to welcome Santhosh to the Panera Bread leadership team,” said Paul Carbone, interim chief executive officer of Panera Bread. “As the technology landscape continues to evolve, Santhosh brings the right combination of strategic technology expertise, industry experience and proven ability to build high-performing teams that will help drive Panera’s continued success.”