American Eagle Outfitters names new CFO

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. announced on Wednesday the appointment of Ravi Thanawala to the role of EVP, chief financial officer, effective August 3.

Thanawala succeeds company veteran Mike Mathias, who will transition to serve as a full-time non-executive strategic advisor to Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board and chief executive officer.

Mathias will work closely with Thanawala through the remainder of AEO’s 2026 fiscal year and continue supporting Schottenstein through July 30, 2027, the Pittsburgh-based company added.

A finance veteran across the restaurant, sportswear, and fashion industries, Thanawala joins American Eagle from Papa John’s International, were he most recently served as chief financial officer and president, North America.

Prior to that, the executive served as chief financial officer and EVP, International at the restaurant chain after a stint as Papa John’s interim chief executive officer from March 2024 to August 2024. He first joined the company as chief financial officer in July 2023.

Beyond restaurants, he held the role of chief financial officer of Nike North America at Nike, Inc. from June 2020 to July 2023. From 2018 to 2020, Thanawala also served as the global VP and CFO of the Converse brand, after serving as the global VP of retail excellence from 2016 to 2018.

Prior to Nike, Thanawala spent eight years at Ann Inc. with increasing responsibilities in finance and operations. 

“I want to extend my immense appreciation to Mike for his exceptional leadership and dedicated service. Mike’s history with AEO runs incredibly deep. He began his career with the company in 1998, and though his professional journey took him elsewhere for a time, his love for AEO’s brands and people ultimately brought him back in 2017, where his significant impact led to his promotion to CFO in 2020. Throughout his tenure, he has successfully guided our organization through a rapidly evolving retail landscape and a period of significant growth, which is why I’ve asked Mike to step into the role of strategic advisor to me. Mike’s financial expertise and strategic foresight have been instrumental in strengthening the foundation of our business, driving long-term value and positioning AEO for a bright future,” said Schottenstein.

“We are pleased to welcome Ravi Thanawala to the executive team. His extensive retail background, dynamic leadership style and proven track record of delivering operational excellence for consumer-facing brands will position us well for long-term success.”

In its most recent trading update, American Eagle Outfitters logged record first-quarter revenue of $1.2 billion, increasing 10% to last year for the quarter ending May 2, as the U.S. apparel firm registered strong growth across its portfolio, especially at Aerie.