10 Cracker Barrel finance leaders
Chief Financial Officer, Vice President FP&A and Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis are among the current titles held by these Cracker Barrel finance leaders. A reader can learn how finance leaders work at Cracker Barrel from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
April Basham
LinkedInExperience: Former Director of Financial Planning and Analysis · Cracker Barrel
April Basham was Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Cracker Barrel from January 2025 to February 2026 and Sr. Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis there from 2018 to 2025. Since April 2026 they have been Senior Manager, Supply Chain at Cracker Barrel, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and they also teach as Adjunct Professor of Business at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).
Brian Fitzpatrick
LinkedInExperience: Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis · Cracker Barrel
Brian Fitzpatrick has been Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis at Cracker Barrel since January 2024, based in the Orlando area. At Miller's Ale House Restaurants they were Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis (2022–2023), Director, Financial Planning & Analysis (2020–2022) and Senior Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis (2017–2020).
Brian Vaclavik
LinkedInExperience: Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President/Corporate Controller · Cracker Barrel Store
Brian Vaclavik has been Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President/Corporate Controller at Cracker Barrel Store since October 2023, in a role the profile places in Lebanon, Tennessee. Their earlier roles include Vice President - Controller at Access TeleCare (2022–2023) and Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President/Corporate Controller at Tuesday Morning (2021–2022), and they were an interim corporate controller through Randstad USA in 2023.
Craig Pommells
LinkedInExperience: Chief Financial Officer · Cracker Barrel
Craig Pommells has been Chief Financial Officer at Cracker Barrel since December 2021, based in Windermere, Florida. Their earlier roles include Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis and Treasury at Red Lobster, and Vice President, Business Analytics and Reporting and Vice President, Finance at Darden.
Joe Mertes
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis · Cracker Barrel
Joe Mertes has been Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis at Cracker Barrel since February 2025, based in the Detroit area. At Cracker Barrel they were Vice President Business Intelligence (2023–2025) and Senior Director of Business Analytics (2022–2023). Their earlier roles include Business Unit CFO and Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Elior.
John Davis
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Supply Chain Finance & Facilities · Cracker Barrel
John Davis has been Vice President Supply Chain Finance & Facilities at Cracker Barrel since July 2026, based in the Nashville area. They were Vice President Finance (2025–2026) and Senior Director Finance (2024–2025) at Maple Street Biscuit Company. Their earlier roles include Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis at Jon-Don and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at PARIC.
Kara S. Jacobs
LinkedInExperience: Former Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer · Cracker Barrel
Kara S. Jacobs is a former Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer at Cracker Barrel, holding the role from December 2019 to October 2022. They are now Chief Financial Officer at Best Choice Roofing, based in the Nashville area, and were Chief Financial Officer at Restaurant Growth Services, LLC and Vice President, Corporate Controller at Bridgestone Americas.
Lana Handle
LinkedInExperience: Former VP/Controller, Interim Controller · Cracker Barrel
Lana Handle is a former VP/Controller, Interim Controller at Cracker Barrel, holding the role from October 2022 to October 2023, and the profile headline reads Retired. They were also Senior Tax Director at Cracker Barrel (2012–2023), and their roles elsewhere include Income Tax Director at United Air Lines (2008–2012) and Tax Director at Elkay Manufacturing (2006–2008).
Matt Maercker
LinkedInExperience: Former Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis · Cracker Barrel
Matt Maercker is a former Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Cracker Barrel, holding the role from October 2019 to May 2023. At Cracker Barrel they also held Director of Employee Training (2017–2020) and analyst and manager roles (2008–2017). They are now Chief Strategy Officer at Dovetail Partners/Roost & Rise/Hat Creek Burger Company, based in the Nashville area.
Todd Bushman
LinkedInExperience: Vice President FP&A · Cracker Barrel
Todd Bushman has been Vice President FP&A at Cracker Barrel since June 2022, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Their earlier roles include VP Corporate Finance at NBG Home (2019–2022), Vice President Corporate Finance and Treasury at Golfsmith International (2015–2016) and FP&A Director of Forecasting and Budgeting at JCPenney (2014–2015).
Choose the right perspective
Match each person's area, financial planning and analysis, controllership and accounting, tax, or supply chain finance, to the decision you face. Weigh current against former leaders by the years they held the role, since practices change over time.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Which planning or reporting decision in your finance role at Cracker Barrel taught you the most?
- 02What did you change first when you took on your finance role at Cracker Barrel, and why?
- 03What would you tell someone stepping into a similar finance role for the first time?
Reaching Cracker Barrel finance leaders
How can I contact one of these Cracker Barrel finance leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 2 companies: Cracker Barrel and Cracker Barrel Store, based on profile data retrieved on October 24, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Cracker Barrel finance leaders?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these Cracker Barrel finance leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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