About
Richard Ste. Marie is a seasoned real estate development and strategy executive with more than 30 years of experience driving growth for leading global retail and restaurant brands. He spent nearly two decades with Panera Bread, ultimately serving as Vice President of Real Estate Development for the U.S. and Canada, where he helped lead the company’s expansion from approximately 750 to more than 2,300 cafés.
Prior to Panera, Richard held senior real estate, business development, asset optimization, and M&A roles with PepsiCo/Yum! Brands and The Standard Group. His international experience includes leadership assignments in London and Sydney, spanning new-market entry, franchise development, portfolio optimization, and complex M&A transactions that generated significant shareholder value across Europe and Australia.
Richard holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Vermont.
MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park.
B.A. in Economics from the University of Vermont.
Panera Bread – 19 years
PepsiCo / Yum! Brands – 10 years (5 domestic / 5 years international – London / Sydney
