Pret A Manger Appoints Lucas Lopes Muniz as New CFO

Pret A Manger Announces a New Chief Financial Officer

Pret A Manger has confirmed that Lucas Lopes Muniz will become its new chief financial officer, with his appointment taking effect from mid-January 2027. The announcement marks an important leadership change for the global food-to-go brand as it pursues further expansion beyond its home market. In his new position, Muniz will sit on Pret’s Global Leadership Team and take charge of the company’s worldwide finance function. A central part of his remit will be supporting the business as it continues to grow internationally, an area that has become increasingly significant to Pret’s overall performance in recent years. The appointment brings a seasoned finance leader with deep experience in the restaurant and quick-service sector into the business at a time when it is looking to build on its recovery and momentum. His arrival also sets in motion a carefully planned transition with the company’s outgoing finance chief, ensuring continuity across the organisation.

More Than a Decade at Restaurant Brands International

Muniz joins Pret after more than 12 years at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant groups. During his time there, he built a broad career that spanned senior finance, development and general management roles. His work took him across several countries, including Singapore, Canada and Switzerland, giving him first-hand exposure to how food and beverage businesses operate in very different markets and regulatory environments. This international background is expected to be especially relevant at Pret, where overseas growth is now a key strategic priority. Working across multiple regions has also given him experience in balancing the needs of established markets with the opportunities and challenges found in newer, developing ones. Few finance leaders combine this level of sector knowledge with hands-on operational experience, and Pret’s leadership believes this blend of skills makes him well placed to guide the company’s financial strategy through its next stage of development.

Leading Finance Across 120 Markets

In his most recent role, Muniz served as CFO of RBI International, where he oversaw financial operations covering 120 markets, four brands and more than 16,000 restaurants. Together, these represented over $19 billion in system sales, highlighting the scale and complexity of the operations he managed. Beyond his finance responsibilities, he also held the position of President of Tim Hortons International, giving him direct commercial leadership of a globally recognised brand. In addition, he served on the UK boards of both Popeyes and Burger King, providing valuable insight into the British market where Pret has its roots. Before his time at RBI, Muniz worked in financial services, holding roles at BBVA and Morgan Stanley. This combination of banking expertise, corporate finance leadership and brand management experience gives him a well-rounded perspective that few candidates could offer a growing international business like Pret.

Gustavo Peixoto to Depart After Five Years

Muniz will succeed Gustavo Peixoto, who is leaving Pret to take up a new role in the education sector after five years with the company. Peixoto joined in 2022, at a time when the business was still emerging from the disruption caused by the pandemic. During his tenure, he played a vital part in strengthening Pret’s financial position and helping return the company to growth after an exceptionally difficult period for the hospitality industry. Reflecting on his time at the business, Peixoto highlighted that the team had returned Pret to profitable growth, completed two successful refinancings and built a strong finance function prepared for the company’s next phase. He also expressed his gratitude to the talented finance team, Pret’s financial partners and its loyal customers. His departure closes a chapter defined by recovery and rebuilding, and he leaves the business in a considerably stronger position than when he arrived.

A Smooth and Structured Handover

To ensure continuity, Pret has arranged an overlap between its incoming and outgoing finance leaders. Peixoto will remain with the business until the end of March 2027, working closely alongside Muniz from mid-January onwards. This roughly two-and-a-half-month period gives the new CFO time to become familiar with Pret’s financial operations, its people and its key partners before taking full ownership of the role. Planned handovers of this kind are widely regarded as good practice in senior leadership transitions, particularly in finance, where relationships with lenders, investors and internal teams are central to day-to-day success. The approach also reflects the stability Pret has built in recent years, allowing the company to manage a change at the top of its finance function without disruption. For staff, partners and stakeholders, the overlap offers reassurance that the business’s financial direction will remain steady while the new leadership settles in.

Pano Christou Welcomes the Appointment

Pret A Manger chief executive Pano Christou praised Muniz’s “brilliant track record” at RBI and said the company was delighted he had chosen to join. He pointed to Muniz’s ability to combine deep financial expertise with strong commercial experience gained from supporting some of the world’s best-known food and beverage brands. Christou said Muniz’s experience of driving growth in both emerging and established markets would be particularly valuable now that Pret operates in more than 20 international markets, with over £1 in every £4 spent at Pret now coming from overseas. Christou also paid tribute to Peixoto, recalling that Pret was still recovering from the pandemic when he joined in 2022. He described Peixoto’s grit, resilience and intellect as exactly what the business needed at that time, adding that his work had left Pret stronger than it was five years ago and well positioned for future success.

Muniz Looks Ahead to Pret’s Next Chapter

Commenting on his appointment, Muniz said he was delighted to be joining Pret A Manger at what he described as an exciting time for the business. He called Pret an iconic brand with a strong heritage, a unique offer and friendly, dedicated Team Members. He also highlighted the significant opportunities he sees for the company to create value, both in the UK and across its growing international footprint. Muniz said he looked forward to working with Christou and the wider leadership team to build on the strong foundations already in place and to support the next chapter of Pret’s growth. His comments signal continuity with the strategy that has guided the company’s recovery, while also pointing to an ambitious future. With an experienced CFO joining and a clear focus on global expansion, Pret appears well prepared for its next phase as a leading name in the food-to-go market.