Biography

Aylwin Lewis was most recently the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Potbelly Corporation (NASDAQ: PBPB), a growing Chicago-based sandwich chain with operations throughout the United States and internationally, from 2008 to 2017. Prior to Potbelly, Aylwin was Chief Executive Officer and President of Sears Holdings Corporation, which was created from the merger of two retail giants, Kmart and Sears. Aylwin was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kmart at the time of the merger, a distinction that made Aylwin the highest ranking African-American executive in the U.S. retail industry. He has also held various executive positions at both Yum! Brands and Pizza Hut. Aylwin presently serves on the board of directors of Marriott International and VOYA Financial and previously served on the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Aylwin earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston, Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Houston Baptist University and Bachelor of Science and Arts degrees from the University of Houston.