Einstein Bros. Bagels adds three new leaders to C-suite

As it prepares to accelerate growth, Einstein Bros. Bagels has beefed up its C-suite.

The Denver-based bagel chain on Tuesday said it has made three strategic appointments:

Patrick Waldron has been named chief development officer. Waldron was most recently director of business operations, worldwide retail growth and development, for Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery business, where he helped build Amazon Fresh from the ground up, as well as rolling out new Whole Foods Market formats.

At Einstein Bros., he will lead the push to add 300 units domestically to its 766-store count by 2030.

Shawna Fehrman-Lee is Einstein’s new chief people officer.

She spent nearly a decade with HelloFresh, where she served as global vice president of people, supporting 16 international markets and a workforce of more than 20,000.

Will Evans has been named chief financial officer at Einstein. Evans was most recently CFO of Alvarado Restaurant Nation and La Colombe, and he has worked previously with Zoes Kitchen through that brand’s initial public offering, as well as in private equity.

Jessica DePetro, Einstein Bros.’ CEO, said in a statement, “Patrick, Shawna and Will are accomplished leaders who understand how to scale complex organizations while keeping people, operational discipline and long-term value at the center of the work. Their complementary expertise strengthens an already exceptional leadership team and gives us the depth to grow thoughtfully, invest in our teams and bring Einstein Bros. to more communities nationwide.”

Einstein Bros. is part of Panera Brands, a group that includes Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and the smaller Bruegger’s Bagels, Noah’s New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel.