The leader of Papa John withdraws abruptly

An officer of Papa John leaves the company in trouble, effective immediately.

Timothy O'Hern told the pizza company on Wednesday that he is retiring, according to a SEC deposit. He became president of the international division of the company in May. He was also Director of Development for Papa John International.

O 'Hern became a franchisee in 1993 and has been working for the company for over 20 years. He owns and operates nine franchises in the United States and will continue to do so.

A spokeswoman for the company said that O & # 39; Hern was leaving for personal reasons.

"We thank Tim for his many contributions to the company and are happy that he remains a franchisee and a family member of Papa John," the company said in a statement, adding that she hoped for a "smooth transition" . His duties will be assumed by current members of Papa John's team, depending on the file.

Papa Johns (PZZA) ad in July that he is conducting an investigation into his processes of diversity and inclusion, as well as on the global culture of the company, after his founder John Schnatter had used a racial insult at a time of his own. conference call.

The departure of O. Hern is not related to the investigation, added the spokesman.

Papa John's has been involved in a horrible fight with Schnatter for weeks.

Schnatter resigned from his role as CEO last year and resigned from his position as chairman of the board of directors in July. Since then, he has severely criticized the current leadership of the company. The company says its charges are unfounded.

CNNMoney (New York) First published on September 5, 2018: 6:13 pm ET