CEC Entertainment, Inc. Appoints Jim Howell as Chief Financial Officer

Howell Joins as Strategic Growth Continues for Chuck E. Cheese's and Peter Piper Pizza

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Sep 10, 2018, 19:04 ET

DALLAS, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CEC Entertainment, Inc., which operates Chuck E. Cheese's and Peter Piper Pizza restaurants, today announced the appointment of James "Jim" A. Howell as Chief Financial Officer, effective Sept. 17, 2018. Howell will replace Dale Black, who is retiring effective Sept. 21, after many contributions to the company.

"On behalf of everyone at CEC, I want to thank Dale for his tireless dedication during his time as CFO," said Tom Leverton, Chief Executive Officer, CEC Entertainment, Inc. "We wish Dale and his family the very best as he moves forward with the next chapter in his life. We look forward to continuing his success with the addition of Jim to our executive team."

"I'm grateful for my time at CEC," said Black. "I've really enjoyed working with Tom and the rest of the team over the last three years. I think Jim is joining CEC at a very exciting time for the company. I wish them much success as I look forward to spending more time with my wife and family."

Howell will work closely with Leverton and other senior leaders to lead strategic initiatives across the company as well as manage all financial aspects of the business.

"Jim's extensive multi-site and retail consumer experience makes him a fantastic addition to CEC Entertainment's leadership team," said Leverton. "As we continue to enhance guest experience across our brands, he will play a vital role in helping the company build on the sales momentum recently covered in our second quarter earnings."

Howell joins CEC with a long-standing and successful career in the retail and financial services industries. Most recently, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Australian retailer Billabong International Limited and prior to that served in senior financial positions at Nordstrom, Inc. and Blockbuster, Inc. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers servicing clients in retail and financial services industries.

"From recent launch of the first-of-its-kind All You Can Play offering at Chuck E. Cheese's to Peter Piper Pizza's continued expansion in the United States, it's an exciting time to join the CEC Entertainment, Inc. team," said Howell. "I am looking forward to applying my expertise from the retail industry to help both CEC Entertainment and its brands continue to set themselves apart as leaders in family entertainment."

About CEC Entertainment, Inc.
CEC Entertainment is the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment with both its Chuck E. Cheese's and Peter Piper Pizza restaurants. As the place where a million happy birthdays are celebrated every year, Chuck E. Cheese's goal is to create positive, lifelong memories for families through fun, food, and play and is the place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid^®. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheese's helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check^®. As a strong advocate for its local communities, Chuck E. Cheese's has donated more than $16 million to schools through its fundraising programs and supports its new national charity partner, Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The Company and its franchisees operate a system of 607 Chuck E. Cheese's and 147 Peter Piper Pizza stores, with locations in 47 states and 14 foreign countries and territories. For more information, visit Chuck E. Cheese's or connect with us on social media.