2015 Annual Convention Speaker Biographies
Connie E. Alires, CFE
Connie E. Alires is the Director of Franchise Development for Which Wich Superior Sandwiches. She has
been on the development side of franchising in the QSR industry since 2004. She has worked with both
large and small franchisors where she has been instrumental in driving value for companies through a
balance of growth and productivity. Her focus on all aspects of the franchise recruitment process has led
to sustainable revenue, profit and market performance in traditional and non-traditional development. She
has an unmatched passion for franchising and in 2009 she completed her certification with the
International Franchise Association and obtained her Certified Franchise Executive credentials (CFE).
Tom Baber
Tom Baber is the owner of a small multi-unit franchisee of both Money Mailer and IHOP (DineEquity). He
has been self-employed for most of his career and has owned and continues to own businesses outside
of franchising. He believes in and enjoys the franchising model and feels it important to keep the model
strong. Mr. Baber tries to do his small part by serving on the Franchise Relations Committee and
Franchise Forum while attending as many IFA events during the year as fit in his schedule. Advocacy,
especially by franchisees, is very effective at the state and federal level. It is very important that
franchisees share their message. Consequently, he finds time to educate legislators on our needs and
challenges.
Jania Bailey
Jania Bailey is President & COO of FranNet, she joined FranNet in August 2006 while the company was
transitioning to new ownership. Under her leadership, the company has seen unprecedented growth:
system-wide sales have increased nearly 1,000 percent, the number of offices has more than doubled
across North America, and the company has transitioned to a franchise business model. Her background
includes more than 25 years in banking and franchising, including more than 8 years serving in several
managerial capacities with Fantastic Sams International. Before Fantastic Sams, she spent 18 years in
the banking industry in commercial lending and business development. She serves on the IFA Executive
Board, IFA Supplier Forum Board, IFA Membership Committee, and is active as a mentor for new
franchisors through the IFA FranShip program. She also is the author of "Thriving – The Journey to
Success in the Business World."
Brian Balconi, C.F.E.
Brian Balconi is Vice President and General Counsel of Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. where he oversees
the legal and human resources functions. He previously served as in-house counsel for Dunkin’ Brands
and Mail Boxes Etc. Mr. Balconi received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of
Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. He currently serves on the IFA
Convention Committee and on the IFA Educational Foundation Board of Trustees. When not studying
the finer points of franchise law, he enjoys competing in a variety of sports, including basketball, hockey,
racquetball and mountain bike races.
Sam Ballas, CFE
Sam G. Ballas serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of East Coast Wings & Grill. A co-founder
of East Coast Wings & Grill, he has lead the brand through 11 years of consecutive same store sales
growth since franchising the brand, and an annual average 20+% new unit growth since 2010,
strategically evolved the brand as one of the leaders in the polished casual dining space, driving unit level
economics as the core philosophy. With over 26 years of financial, retail real estate, retail development
industries and 30 years of restaurant experience, Mr. Ballas has used his vast knowodlege base in
implementing traditional franchising strategies and has pioneered proprietary strategies in evolving the
brands ‘Best Practices’. Mr. Ballas serves on membership, Franchisor Forum, FranShip and 2015
Convention committees for the International Franchise Association and is a designated Certified
Franchise Executive (CFE) by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives, serves on the Government
Affairs Committee for the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association and is a board member with
several franchise system supplier boards.
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Melanie Bergeron, CFE
Melanie Bergeron is the Chair of Two Men and a Truck®/International, Inc., the largest franchised moving
company in North America. Ms. Bergeron began as the company’s first franchisee – the founder of the
company is her mother, Mary Ellen Sheets. Ms. Bergeron became president in 1994 and together with
her team grew the company from $6 million to $198 million. The company has been featured on The
Today Show and CNBC’s How I Made My Millions. Ms. Bergeron has spoken at several universities and
for many business groups to share best practices she has learned along the way. She also spends time
mentoring other young entrepreneurs. In addition, Ms. Bergeron serves as incoming chair for the
International Franchise Association (IFA) and is on the board of directors for Northwood University. Ms.
Bergeron is a graduate of Central Michigan University and resides in Okemos, Mich., with her husband
and twin sons.
Susan Beth, CFE
Susan E. Beth is an Operating Partner with NRD Capital. Ms. Beth was previously the Chief Operating
Officer of Super Wash, Inc., the nation’s largest franchisor of self-serve car washes. Ms. Beth is a past
member of the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association (IFA), the Founder of the
Franchise Capital Exchange and is also a motivational speaker. Susan received the IFA’s prestigious
Bonny LeVine Award for mentoring and promoting women in franchising in 2012; she is also the proud
recipient of the 2013 Crystal Compass given by the IFA’s Women’s Franchise Committee celebrating
leadership in franchising, company and/or community; and she was featured in the January 2011 issue of
Franchise Times as one of the “20 to Watch”. She grew up in a family business and has been immersed
in business operations for 30+ years. She took her first leap into business ownership when she bought
her first franchise at the age of 19. She went on to acquire two more locations and was a multi-unit
franchisee with her business partner for 9 years. Ms. Beth is the Past Chair of the International Franchise
Association’s (IFA) Women’s Franchise Committee; the co-founder and past Co-Chair of the Chicago
Women’s Franchise Network; and the past Co-Chair for the Strategic Advisory Board of International
Institute for Franchise Education based at Nova Southeastern University.
Jeff Bevis, CFE
Jeff Bevis is now the Co-Founder, President and CEO of FirstLight HomeCare Franchising. A newer
brand, but led by the most experienced team in the industry, FirstLight HomeCare was just named to the
prestigious “Entrepreneur 500” rankings---for a 3rd consecutive year----with latest ranking of #302 after
only 4 years of franchising. The FirstLight HomeCare network has already grown to over 125 markets in
28 states with expansion accelerating! He has led major initiatives achieving record-setting growth in
several franchise companies such as Comfort Keepers, Express Personnel Services, Thrifty Rent-A-Car
and INTERIORS by Decorating Den, and previously developed a successful franchise consulting
practice. His executive leadership responsibilities have encompassed all aspects of franchising, which
include operations, training, support services, technology, business development and strategic planning.
He is a firm believer in developing teams and helping entire organizations understand what it takes to
execute for success. An active volunteer in the franchising community, Mr. Bevis is a newly elected
member of the ICFE Board of Governors, has authored several strategic articles for franchise
publications, and continues to serve as a featured presenter of franchise topics at seminars and trade
gatherings. In 2001, he received his Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation from the
International Franchise Association.
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Victoria Blackwell, CFE
Victoria Blackwell is Senior Vice President of Talent and Chief Legal Officer with Papa Murphy’s and has
been with the company since 2001. As the Chief Legal Officer, Ms. Blackwell is responsible for managing
the company’s legal affairs, including matters relating to governance, litigation, contracts, ethics and risk
management. Ms. Blackwell is responsible for Papa Murphy’s human resource practices, policies and
operations, including leading Papa Murphy’s leadership development and succession planning, career
development, workforce management, and recruitment. Blackwell began her professional career as a
public defender in southern Oregon, followed by private practice in Vancouver, Washington. She was
formerly a real estate attorney at Knowledge Universe (KinderCare Centers). Ms. Blackwell is a graduate
of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of
Law, where she earned her law degree.
Stephen Blahunka
Stephen Blahunka is Vice President-Financial Advisor, CRPC® at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and
is an active member of the IFA, and his practice specializes in servicing franchisors, franchise executives
and franchisees throughout the country on 401(k) programs and personal wealth asset management. As
a former executive with national franchisors, he understands the needs of small business owners and
delivers effective investment guidance, lending and succession planning strategies. He received an
M.B.A from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, holds the professional designation of Chartered
Retirement Planning Counselor, and is active in his community with a leadership role in the Children’s
Hospital of Michigan Foundation.
Robin Blanton
Robin Blanton is the Senior Director of Marketing for McAlister’s Deli and has been in the food and
franchise industry for 18 years. Under her leadership, the McAlister’s brand saw a 20% increase in Public
Relations and countless industry awards in 2014. Ms. Blanton also leads the Marketing Services Team
for more than 340 locations nationwide developing local restaurant marketing initiates for the brand. In
addition, Ms. Blanton leads a cross-functional Execution Team managing all promotions, R&D product
testing and projects. Prior to McAlister’s, Ms. Blanton was Director of Marketing for HoneyBaked Ham
and Heavenly Ham. In addition to franchising, she was Director of Marketing for a Regional Atlanta
Accounting firm as well as Marketing Manager at KPMG Peat Marwick. Ms. Blanton is a graduate of the
University of Tennessee with a BS in Communications with a specialty in Public Relations.
Brian Boycan
Brian Boycan is Vice President of Non-Traditional Development at Auntie Anne’s where he is responsible
for expanding the company into non-traditional venues such as airports, travel plazas, universities,
Walmart’s, military bases, casinos, amusement parks, etc. Mr. Boycan joined Auntie Anne's in 1992 as a
Franchise Business Consultant. He started the Specialty Retail program in 1994, served as a Leasing
Rep, then as Director of Real Estate and Site Development from 2004 until 2009, when he began
focusing solely on non-traditional development. Prior to joining Auntie Anne's, he worked as a salesman
and as a pastor. He holds bachelors and master’s degrees from Baptist Bible College and Seminary and
a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary.
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Jeffrey Brimer, CFE
Jeffrey A. Brimer is an attorney in private practice in Denver, Colorado. He was formerly Counsel with
Faegre Baker Daniels LLP and Snell & Wilmer, LLP and General Counsel of Medicine Shoppe International,
Inc. He is a member of the American Bar Association (Sections on Business and International Law and
Practice, and the Forum on Franchising), the Colorado and Missouri Bars and the International Bar
Association. He holds a Certified Franchise Executive designation from the International Franchise
Association. Mr. Brimer was the Editor of the Franchise Law Compliance Manual (Second Edition),
published by the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising in 2011. He was a member of the
Governing Committee of the Forum on Franchising; and, was co-chair of the ABA Annual Forum on
Franchising, held in October, 2002. He is a member of the International Franchise Association LegalLegislative Committee; an Officer of the International Franchising Committee of the International Bar
Association; and, a member of the International Chamber of Commerce Franchise Task Force. Mr. Brimer
has written and spoken on a variety of franchise issues at the ABA Annual Forum on Franchising, the
International Franchise Association Legal Symposium and Annual Meetings and the International Bar
Association. Mr. Brimer has been named to The International Who’s Who of Franchise Lawyers, Franchise
Times “Legal Eagles”, Chambers USA and Chamber’s Global: America’s Leading Lawyers for Franchising,
Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.
Kris Brown
Kris Brown is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL)
for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Nebraska,
and was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Off the playing
field, Mr. Brown has demonstrated a commitment to charity. During his three seasons for the Steelers, Mr.
Brown was active in the Pittsburgh community. He volunteered his efforts for The Western Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf and Junior Achievement’s “Kickin’ for Kids” program. During his recent career with the
Texans, Mr. Brown has raised $384,000 for Texas Children’s Hospital Charity Care Program through the
program Kris Brown’s Kick Club. The program's mission is to provide hope, medical resources, and
healing for patients at Texas Children's Hospital that do not have the ability to provide these for
themselves and to increase community awareness about their needs. His involvement stemmed from a
personal experience that Mr. Brown dealt with as a child. His sister April was diagnosed with a rare form
of cancer at the age of 11. She recovered and has been in remission for 13 years. The support his family
received during the ordeal served as the inspiration to form Kris Brown's Kick Club. On March 7, 2004,
Mr. Brown greeted President George W. Bush when he landed at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. Bush
honored Brown and Texas Children's Hospital for their charity efforts. On August 2012, a report from The
Kansas City Star reported that Brown's company, Savoreaux, Inc. was holding a job fair for his Dunkin
Donuts locations that had recently opened. The report went on to state that Brown had retired from
football. Mr. Brown is co-owner and chief executive officer of the Berliner Group, a Dunkin' Donuts
franchisee in Kansas City and Omaha. Currently, the Berliner Group has four stores operating in both
Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. Four additional stores are being built in Omaha, with plans
to open those locations in 2015.
Ron Busby
Ron Busby, Sr., is the leader of the Nation's new premier non-profit organization for Black Business
owners; he is also a successful business owner himself. He comes with a background in the small
business arena, as he has started, grew, and has been recognized as one of the country’s best CEOs.
He grew his first business USA SuperClean from $150,000 annual revenue to over $15 million. He has
received countless awards, from the Western Region SBA Small Business Person of the Year in 1996, to
the Greater Phoenix Chamber Small Business Person of the Year in 2006, and the Maricopa County
Small Business of the Year in 2007 to name a few. Trained by some of the country’s leading executives,
he developed many of his skills at some of the country’s major corporations in various senior
management positions such as Exxon, Xerox, IBM, and Coca Cola USA. While in corporate America he
received national recognition as National Sales Person of the Year.
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Stephen J. Caldeira, CFE
Stephen J. Caldeira is President & CEO of the International Franchise Association (IFA), where he works
with the Board of Directors to design and implement the organization’s strategic priorities: government
relations and public policy, media and public relations, professional development programs and research
initiatives. He acts as the association’s primary spokesperson and liaison, both domestically and
internationally. Before joining IFA in June 2010, he served as the Executive Vice President of Global
Communications & Chief Public Affairs Officer for Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’
Donuts and Baskin-Robbins. He also held the Vice President of Industry Relations and Business
Development position for PepsiCo, Inc. and served as Managing Director in the U.S. Public Affairs Practice
for Burson-Marsteller. His trade association experience includes positions as President and COO of the
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in Chicago, and Senior Vice President of
Communications & Marketing for the National Restaurant Association in Washington, D.C. Mr. Caldeira’s
government affairs experience includes serving as political director to Ronald S. Lauder (R-NY) in his bid
for Mayor of New York City in 1989; Senior Manager of Political Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
(Northeast Region) and Political Director for former U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato’s (R-NY) successful
1986 re-election campaign. He presently serves on numerous boards and advisory councils, including the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Association Committee of 100;” the Board of Directors for the Small
Business Legislative Council (SBLC); the World Franchise Council (WFC), the 2010 Restaurant Leadership
Conference Advisory Council; the Society of Fellows at the Culinary Institute of America; the National
Committee of Advisors for the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State
University—Monterey Bay, and the Board of Directors of the HealthStore Foundation, the parent company
of the CFWshops franchise system in Kenya.
Jon Cartlston
Jon Carlston is the U.S. Sales and Customer Service Director at Franchise.com and brings years of
executive leadership experience in the franchising industry in product management, sales and training.
Mr. Carlston has produced revenues of $1.5 million annually through sales of advertising, electronic
document disclosure, and other software solutions. Today he spearheads the continual refinement of
Process Peak solutions, ensuring that the offering meets and exceeds the needs of Franchisors and
Franchisees.
Tarji Carter
Tarji Carter is currently a Franchising Manager for Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. Ms. Carter is responsible for
developing and executing strategic franchise expansion plans for Dunkin' Donuts® and Baskin-Robbins®
throughout the South Atlantic market. This includes cross functional work with existing franchise owners.
Over the last several years, Dunkin’ Donuts’ franchising and development team has been a leader in the
QSR segment in terms of new store commitments year over year. The team continues to generate a
consistent pipeline of new franchise developers, fueling expansion plans. Ms. Carter has over 7 years of
experience in retail development and managerial experience. As a passionate advocate for
entrepreneurs, Ms. Carter has helped small business operators realize their dream of owning their own
business. Prior to her current role with Dunkin’ Brands, Ms. Carter worked with Cinnamon and Carvel as
Director, Franchise Sales and has over 15 years’ experience in the hotel/hospitality industry.
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Amy Cheng
Amy Cheng is the co-founder of Cheng Cohen LLC. Ms. Cheng concentrates her practice in domestic
and international commercial transactions, general corporate, and franchise, licensing and distribution
law. She represents franchisors on the structuring and operation of their franchise programs through all
phases of development. Ms. Cheng has extensive experience in structuring and drafting agreements for
complex franchise, licensing and distribution relationships and in regulatory compliance. Her experience
includes advising clients in connection with complex issues arising from the ownership of multiple brands,
non-traditional opportunities, system restructuring and brand acquisition. Ms. Cheng also has extensive
experience in counseling clients on mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial relationships, and
structuring strategic business alliances and joint ventures. Her unique combination of corporate and
franchise experience provides private equity firms with comprehensive legal services in connection with
their acquisitions and growth of franchise companies. She is the current Chair of the International
Franchise Association’s Annual Legal Symposium, a member of the International Franchise Association
Supplier Forum Advisory Board, and an Associate Editor for the American Bar Association’s Franchise
Law Journal. Ms. Cheng also serves as a member of the Franchise Advisory Board for the Illinois
Attorney General. For her work in the field of franchise law, she was named a “Legal Eagle” by the
Franchise Times, recognized by Who’s Who Legal, Leading Lawyers, Chambers and Partners and
selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America® and is The Best Lawyers’ 2014
Chicago Franchise Law “Lawyer of the Year.”
Mitch Cohen
Mitch Cohen is the Owner of Baskin Robbins/Dunkin' Donuts Bayshore, NY. He also manages the
production and distribution operations for his network of 10 franchise locations in Long Island, NY which
include Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants. He has been an active franchisee for more than 28
years including his current roles as Baskin-Robbins Advisory Council Co-Chair, Co-Chair of Dunkin Donuts
Baskin Robbins Community Foundation as well as on the IFA Board of Directors, IFA Presidents Council,
FranPAC and Franchisee Forum board member. In 2009, he was honored as Franchisee of the Year and
received the Pathfinder Leadership Award in 2007. Mr. Cohen attended St. John’s Military Academy,
Lincoln College and Eastern Illinois University.
Steven Cox, CFE
Steven Cox is Vice President of Sales, Growth and Franchising at Beyond by Aerus. He has been
actively growing franchise companies for nearly 20 years. Through this time he has evaluated candidates
and processes for all aspects of the franchisor/franchisee relationship. From the initial evaluation with
candidates through preparation for and effecting exit strategies, Mr. Cox has worked from both viewpoints
for most positive results for the strength of the franchise systems and most rewarding franchisee
experiences.
Scot Crain
Scot Crain is Vice President of Franchise Relations for Auntie Anne's Pretzels, the world's largest handrolled soft pretzel franchise, with more than 1,600 locations worldwide. Founded in 1988, Auntie Anne's
mixes, twists and bakes pretzels from scratch all day long in full view of guests. The concept can be
found in malls and outlet centers as well as non-traditional spaces such as airports, universities, travel
plazas, amusement parks, and military bases. Mr. Crain has worked in the franchise industry for more
than 28 years. Since joining Auntie Anne's in 1993, Mr. Crain has provided leadership to the company's
field support, communications, and information technology teams, and developed an innovative franchise
advisory council system that has benefited the Auntie Anne's system for over two decades. In his current
role, he continues to work closely with a peer-elected franchisee leadership team to promote ongoing
collaboration between the company and its franchisees to achieve mutual goals.
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Ryan Cunningham
Ryan Cunningham is the Founder and President of the national firm Javelin Solutions. Javelin develops
and manages the site selection process for numerous franchise systems such as CD One Price Cleaners,
Children’s Lighthouse, Complete Nutrition, Crunch Fitness, Domino’s Pizza, Expedia Cruise Ship
Centers, Togo’s Restaurants, Tropical Smoothie Café, and Woodhouse Day Spa. Prior to launching
Javelin, Mr. Cunningham spent twenty years at Jones Lang LaSalle representing and supporting retail
clients such as Sprint and Circle K Convenience Stores. Today, Mr. Cunningham is the incoming chair of
the Supplier Forum Advisory Board, sits on the Membership and FranPAC Committees of the
International Franchise Association, and is also a board member of the Professional Athletes Franchising
Initiative. In addition to regular speaking engagements at the IFA Convention, Multi-Unit Conference, and
ICSC Convention, he has published numerous articles in Franchising World and Franchise Times.
Bruce Daise
Bruce Daise is Vice President and Deputy General Council and Chief Privacy Officer at H&R Block’s
Legal Department since 2003 and currently leads the U.S. Client Services & International Group. In this
role, he has legal oversight responsibility for H&R Block’s global tax return preparation businesses
including functions such as franchising, marketing, privacy and intellectual property. This also includes
operational responsibility for the H&R Block consumer privacy, performance integrity and compliance
programs. H&R Block is one of the world’s largest tax services providers offering tax return preparation
services through more than 10,000 company-owned and franchised retail tax offices and through its do-ityourself tax software solutions. Mr. Daise obtained his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law.
Don Davy
Don Davey was the first, and is still the only student in NCAA history to be named to GTE's prestigious
First Team Academic All-American Team in four consecutive years. After earning his Master’s degree in
Mechanical Engineering from Wisconsin, his unique combination of intelligence, talent, and unrivaled
work ethic propelled him through nine successful seasons in the National Football League with the Green
Bay Packers (1991-1995) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-1999). He is the owner of Disciplined
Equity Management, an institutional money management firm with over $150 million in assets under
management from professional athletes, business owners, executives, and other high net worth investors.
He is the owner of DKSS Subs and Badger Restaurant Group which own the rights to over 50 Firehouse
Subs locations in Florida and Wisconsin. He is the owner of Parrothead Property Investments, a real
estate investment company with commercial and residential holdings in Florida and Wisconsin.
Greg Delks
Greg Delks is the Vice President, Franchise Development for Firehouse Subs. Since joining the
Firehouse Subs team in 2006, Mr. Delks has led the brand to grow from 226 to 853 open restaurants. By
developing franchise recruitment strategies that include digital, traditional and tradeshow exhibiting,
Firehouse Subs has experienced record demand for the brand. In 2014, Mr. Delks signed deals in
Canada and Mexico for Firehouse Subs first true international expansion efforts.
John Draper
John Draper is a Partner at Cottrel Coliseum Group. He has had tremendous success managing multiple
brands (Burger King, Pizza Hut, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Haagen Daaz, Coffee Beanery and Wingstop). Mr.
Draper was responsible for growing V & J Holdings by 42 units in a single year (2008). Mr. Draper leads
the day-to-day charge that cast a positive leadership shadow over the organization. Mr. Draper’s level of
experience in the urban environment has cemented a market niche. Mr. Draper passion for business started
early in a nurturing family business at the age of 9. His experience continued at Clark Atlanta University
where he earned a B.A. in Finance and Accounting. Among his accomplishments are his involvement in
investment and entrepreneurial ventures, primarily focused in the food industry. Mr. Draper is now
expanding his repertoire to include Wingstop. He has signed several store agreements with Wingstop. The
first Wingstop opened October 31, 2012 in Southfield, MI. His second Wingstop opened in Detroit, MI on
November 4, 2013.
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Kevin Drudge, CFE
Kevin Drudge is Vice President of Franchise Development at AdvantaClean. He has been in franchising
for over 17 years. Prior to AdvantaClean, Mr. Drudge spent nine years collectively with Driven Brands
where he was responsible for the company’s franchise development efforts focusing on the Maaco and
Meineke brands as well as roles in marketing. Mr. Drudge has also worked with other major franchise
brands including six years heading up North American franchising with Valpak Direct Marketing Systems
and one year with Sign*A*Rama as a regional Vice President. He is a certified franchise executive and
obtained his CFE designation in February 2007.
Brian Duckett
Brian Duckett is Chairman of The Franchising Centre, Europe’s leading firm of franchise consultants, and
a director of the British Franchise Association. He has made his living from franchising since 1976, initially
as a franchisee, then a franchisor and for the last twenty years as a consultant to potential and practicing
franchisors. His firm is part of an informal network of franchise practitioners with representation in more
than 40 countries.
Freddy Dupuy
Freddy Dupuy is Director of Unit Economics and Quality Assurance at East Coast Wings Corporation.
He’s been in this role Since January 2013. From September 2012 to January 2013, he was employed by
our affiliate, Athenian Food Concepts, as General Manager of the franchise unit operated by Athenian
Food Concepts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Prior to joining East Coast Wings, he served as
Director of Logistics Operations Sales and Marketing for Global Events Management LLC in Manhasset,
New York from October 2008 to September 2012.
Jennifer Durham
Jennifer Durham is Vice President of Franchise Development at Checkers & Rally’s. For more than a
decade, Jennifer worked her way up within Checkers & Rally’s. With a solid background in what it takes to
grow profitable restaurants, Ms. Durham has jumpstarted development - delivering flexible building options,
improving site selection strategies and ROI’s that attract both existing and new franchisees to grow. “It’s a
privilege to help entrepreneurs realize their restaurant dreams by opening successful restaurants. I love the
big flavors and great value that make our concept so unique. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. No diets
allowed!”
Dina Dwyer-Owens, CFE
Dina Dwyer-Owens is chairwoman and CEO of the Dwyer Group, Inc., which presides over trade service
brands that are welcomed into more than two million homes every year. The Dwyer Group’s concepts
include Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, Mr. Rooter Plumbing (Drain Doctor in the United Kingdom
and Portugal), Mr. Electric, Mr. Appliance, Glass Doctor, Rainbow International Restoration and Cleaning
and Grounds Guys. As past chairwoman of the IFA, she has spoken about the benefits of franchising
across the United States and as far as China.
William Edwards, CFE
William Edwards is the CEO at Edwards Global Services. As an executive with 40 years of successful
international operations, development, executive and entrepreneurial experience, Mr. Edwards
specializes in growing the business of his US franchisor Clients around the world using his experience,
expertise, knowledge, contact network and proprietary processes. He has lived in China, the Czech
Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey and the USA. Mr. Edwards has worked on projects in 68
countries. He co-founded the AlphaGraphics master license in China in 1990-91 and the AlphaGraphics’
Eastern Europe master license in 1999-2000. From 1992-1999 and again in 2000-2001, he was
AlphaGraphics, Inc.’s Senior Executive directing the growth of the company’s global network.
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Jeff Elgin
Jeff Elgin is the CEO of FranChoice, Inc., the premier network of franchise referral consultants in the
United States. Prior to founding FranChoice, Mr. Elgin served for over eight years as the vice president of
franchise development for Great Clips, Inc., a Minnesota-based franchisor of value-priced hair care
salons. During his tenure, the company grew by over 1000 units. He was the director of franchise
development for Figaros Italian Pizza and National Video from 1986 through 1990. Mr. Elgin’s franchise
experience also includes being a franchise owner with seven stores in the National Video chain from
1984 through 1986. Mr. Elgin has served on the board of directors of two international franchise
companies and has done consulting work with a number of franchisors. He is nationally recognized for his
expertise in creating and implementing systems to recruit significant numbers of new franchisees for
various franchise companies and has done extensive speaking at franchise industry events.
Eric Ersher
Eric Ersher is Founder and CEO of Zoup! Fresh Soup Company, a Michigan-based fast-casual soup
concept he founded in 1998. As the top executive of this over 70-store franchise organization, Mr. Ersher
has overall responsibility for strategic planning, concept evolution, quality and franchise support. He also
leads the company’s staff in building and protecting the Zoup! brand and shaping the company’s culture.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan School of Business, and
a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School.
Tom Epstein
Tom Epstein is the CEO of Franchise Payments Network. In 1998, Mr. Epstein decided to trade in his
successful career in retail management and tackle the payment processing industry. He dove in headfirst,
working for the world’s largest processor of credit card transactions. It was here that he took interest in
the franchising world—he created the franchise sales vertical for First Data and also became heavily
involved with the IFA (International Franchise Association) and the National Restaurant Association. After
more than 5 years of making connections and strengthening ties in the franchise world, Mr. Epstein
decided to launch Franchise Payments Network—a vehicle solely dedicated to delivering the best
possible payment processing solutions to franchisors and their franchisees. FPN works exclusively in the
franchise space, utilizing Mr. Epstein’s extensive knowledge in retail and payment processing to facilitate
the unique needs of franchise systems. Today, in addition to his role as CEO of FPN, Mr. Epstein
continues to work with the IFA, serving on Supplier Forum, The Technology Committee, FranPAC
supporter, host of IFA FBN (Franchise Business Network) in Orlando, has been published in all major
Franchise Trades as well a sponsor of countless industry events though out the year. Mr. Epstein also
earned his CFE (Certified Franchise Executive) designation in 2007.
Deb Evans, CFE
Deb Evans is the President of Franchise Foundry. She started her career in franchising in 1996 as a
teacher for Computer Explorers franchise, made the leap to entrepreneurship purchasing the franchise,
followed by joining the leadership team as Franchise Support Director and later President. She is the
original founder of FranCamp, now called FranTech under IFA. She is a member of the IFA Convention
Committee, Women in Franchising and Marketing and Technology Committee.
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Shane Evans
Shane Evans is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Massage Heights, the company which she
founded with her husband in April 2004 in Alamo Heights, an enclave in San Antonio, Texas. Her goal
was and continues to be to provide professional, quality, therapeutic massage and skin therapy through
an affordable membership model offering convenience in scheduling which would enable the masses to
enjoy the therapeutic benefits that regular massage provides. Her hope is to elevate the lives of the
people touched by Massage Heights every day, enabling improved health, relaxation, stress relief, overall
well-being, and increased athletic performance for their guests and members. Between 2004 and 2006
San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas were developed and by 2007 the concept began its nation-wide
expansion effort resulting in a network of 120+ Retreats located throughout 18 states and Canada. Ms.
Evans is the co-owner of two Massage Heights Retreats, co-owner of the supply chain, Summit Massage
Supply, LLC, and finds time to sit on the Board of Directors of the Massage Heights Family Fund which
she passionately co-founded after her appearance on Undercover Boss in December 2013.
Kristine Feher
Kristine J. Feher is an experienced employment litigator and trial attorney at Greenberg Traurig, LLP,
whose practice focuses on representing employers and managers in employment discrimination and
wrongful discharge cases arising under employment laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the
pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities
Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, the Family
Medical Leave Act, and the New Jersey Family Leave Act. In addition, she litigates claims for benefits
arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as well as wage payment and overtime
compensation claims (including class actions) under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws. She
also has extensive experience in breach of contract, emotional distress, fraud, and many other
employment-related claims.
Gerald Fernandez
Gerry Fernandez is the Founder and President of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance
(MFHA), a non-profit organization promoting the economic benefits of diversity and inclusion in the
restaurant, foodservice and lodging industries. Mr. Fernandez founded MFHA while employed as a
National Account Manager, Foodservice Sales with General Mills, Inc. in Minneapolis in 1996. Mr.
Fernandez began his career with General Mills in 1992 in research and development. Prior to joining
General Mills, Gerry spent more than 10 years as a senior manager opening and operating fine dining
restaurants including The Capital Grille, Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar and The Old Grist Mill
Tavern for RARE Hospitality, Inc., now owned by Darden Restaurants. Mr. Fernandez is currently a
trustee of Johnson & Wales University, a member of the board of the Rhode Island Community Food
Bank and an industry representative for the National Restaurant Association. Mr. Fernandez conducts
lectures and workshops for some of America’s most powerful companies, organizations and brands. He is
an active member of the Women's Foodservice Forum, the American Culinary Federation, Meeting
Professionals International, The American Society of Association Executives, and is a founding member
of the Research Chefs Association. Mr. Fernandez is a Life Member of the NAACP, a member of The
Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Association, the National Council of La Raza, and the National
Association of Black Meeting Planners.
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Michael Fieweger
Michael Fieweger is a Partner in the Chicago office of Baker & McKenzie LLP where he focuses his
practice on the representation of private-equity and venture capital funds, institutions, and hedge funds in
their formation and global acquisition and investment activities. Mr. Fieweger has had significant
experience working with franchisors in the expansion of their franchise operations in the U.S. and abroad.
Mr. Fieweger has a background in corporate finance, having previously served as a commercial lending
officer with a division of JP Morgan Chase in Chicago. Mr. Fieweger is chair of Baker & McKenzie’s
Global Private Equity Practice.
Lane Fisher, CFE
Lane Fisher is a Partner at FisherZucker, LLC. In private practice since 1989, Mr. Fisher currently
represents more than 100 franchise brands in business transactions and complex franchise litigation. Mr.
Fisher is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and chairs the franchise law subcommittee
of the business law section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and serves on the American Bar
Association's forum committee on franchising. In addition to chairing its membership committee from
2005-2013, Mr. Fisher served as a member of the International Franchise Association's Board of
Directors and is a past member of its executive committee and a past chair of the executive committee of
the Supplier Forum Advisory Board. Mr. Fisher also chaired the Legal Symposium Task Force. Every year
since 2004, Philadelphia Magazine has identified Mr. Fisher as a Pennsylvania SuperLawyer and
Franchise Times identified Mr. Fisher in the "Top 100 Franchise Attorneys", earning its Legal Eagle
designation. Since 2010, Mr. Fisher has earned the distinction of “Awesome Attorney” in Suburban Life
magazine. Mr. Fisher has published more than 30 articles and given more than 50 presentations on
franchising-related issues at conferences and served as a frequent commentator and contributor to such
media as CNN-fn, ABC/Live Well!, CN8, INC. Magazine, Franchise Times, Franchise Update, Franchising
World, Franchise Law Journal, and The Franchise Lawyer.
Lorne Fisher, CFE
Lorne Fisher is the CEO and Managing Partner of Fish Consulting. Besides being most experienced,
member of Fish and the agency’s founder, Mr. Fisher is also our resident brand strategist and captain of
the Fish mothership. He is one of those rare PR vision-types that understands how to unleash creativity
on a business problem to deliver tangible results. Mr. Fisher also enjoys telling impressionable young PR
executives that he once ran with the Olympic Torch while working for the Atlanta Committee for the
Olympic Games and even broke up a fight between Miss Piggy and Fabio during a stunt for Frito-Lay –
back when those things were actually cool. The best part about Mr. Fisher is that he will always be on
your side. His focus is and will always remain on helping brands develop communications strategies that
increase business performance. His previous award-winning work with companies such as Levi’s,
Maxwell House and Orbitz led him down the path of starting our agency nearly a decade ago. When he’s
not working, you can find Mr. Fisher at home in Hollywood, Florida with his wife and agency co-founder
Stacey and their two daughters Stella and West. But who are we kidding, he’s probably emailing or calling
you right now.
Tony Foley, CFE
Tony Foley is the International Director for United Franchise Group and the President of World
Franchisors an affiliated brand of United Franchise Group. Mr. Foley started with the company in 1987
and has had a number of roles prior to his current role. In addition to being honored by UFG with the
prestigious “Rock” award for exemplary service, Mr. Foley has been awarded Certified Franchise
Executive status by the International Franchise Association. He has a degree in Business Administration
from the University of Miami. Mr. Foley focuses on expanding all of the brands globally through the
awarding of exclusive Master Licenses and has been instrumental in our growth worldwide. Mr. Foley is
married to his wife Linda with two children, Lauren and Mr. Foley.
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Don Fox
Don Fox is Chief Executive Officer of Firehouse of America, LLC, where he leads the strategic growth of
Firehouse Subs, one of America’s leading fast casual restaurant brands. Under his leadership, the brand
has grown to more than 740 restaurants in 40 states and Puerto Rico, and is recognized as one of the
best franchises in the country. Mr. Fox sits on various boards of influence in the restaurant community,
and is a respected speaker, commentator and published author. He was recognized by Nation’s
Restaurant News as 2011’s Operator of the Year. In 2013, he received the prestigious Silver Plate Award
from the International Food Manufacturers Association (IFMA), and was recognized by FastCasual.com
as the No.1 Executive in the fast casual restaurant community.
Nancy Friedman
Nancy Friedman is President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service. With 6 divisions and a staff of 28 in
a 10,000 sq. ft. building in St Louis, MO, she is dedicated to helping the small business entrepreneur gain
the competitive edge. It’s all they do. You’ll be learning and laughing throughout the program with skills,
tips, idea and techniques you’ll use immediately and forever. Single or multi-unit franchisees will benefit
from this session.
Stan Friedman
Stan Friedman is the President of FRM Solutions and is a 24-year franchising veteran. Always an
“outside the box” thinker, in 1998 while directing Global Franchise Development for Blimpie International,
he created an Urban Expansion initiative that was heralded by the media as well as leaders of both the
public and private sectors. This culminated in an invitation to the White House where he participated in
the President’s “Conference for Community Empowerment.” A dozen years later, in recognition of his
ongoing work in diversity, Friedman very proudly accepted the IFA’s Ronald E. Harrison Diversity Award –
an honor bestowed fewer than 10 times in the IFA’s 50+ year history. Mr. Friedman is also a member of
the board and chairs the Programming Committee for the Southeast Franchise Forum and is the
immediate past vice chair of the International Franchise Association’s, (IFA) Diversity Institute. A frequent
speaker at business development conferences nationwide, Mr. Friedman also contributes regularly to the
IFA’s Franchising World Magazine and is the host of “Sensible Franchising”, a podcast produced by the
EpiCenter Network – home of the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.
Scott Frith
Scott Frith is the CEO of Lawn Doctors and started working at Lawn Doctor’s manufacturing facility in
1987, building equipment and outfitting franchisees’ vans, while attending school. After graduating from
Seton Hall University, he worked for Bloomberg Financial Markets. Mr. Frith returned to Lawn Doctor and
worked his way through the marketing department, earning the position of Marketing Director in 1999. In
2005, he was further promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Franchise Development. In 2011, Mr.
Frith became President & CEO of Lawn Doctor. In addition to serving on the board of directors for Project
Evergreen, Frith has achieved the title of Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) from the International
Franchise Association. His knowledge and experience have been instrumental in developing Lawn
Doctor’s marketing strategies and tools. Mr. Frith has been featured in USA Today, Brand Licensing
magazine, Grounds Maintenance magazine and Direct Marketing magazine. Today, Mr. Frith has
advanced the 45-year-old Lawn Doctor brand in establishing over 450 locations and 200 local experts
servicing over 40 states nationwide.
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Cynthia Gartman, CFE
With over 25 years of management and franchise experience, Ms. Gartman is a franchisee of Seniors
Blue Book. Previously she was President of a patient advocacy and guardianship franchisor, as well as
President of assisted living franchisor. She has an extensive background in company and systems
management and implementation, sales, marketing and communications as well as several years in the
senior services sector. Ms. Gartman has gained her Certified Franchise Executive, Certified Senior
Advisor, Texas Certified Guardian, National Certified Guardian certifications as well as her assisted living
director licensure in 14 states. Currently, Ms. Gartman is active on several committees within the IFA
including the ICFE board of governors where she is chair, chair of the Fran-Guard Task Force and a Vice
Chair of the Educational Foundation, member of the Convention Committee and co-host of the
Philadelphia Women’s Franchise Network.
Kathleen Gilmartin
Kathleen Gilmartin is President and CEO at Interim HealthCare Inc. Her career with Interim has spanned
twenty years in several leadership roles driving franchise sales, operations and clinical practice. Her
experience as a registered nurse, healthcare consultant and business executive in the healthcare industry
has helped guide Interim’s profitable growth in diversified home care services, hospice and medical
staffing. She currently serves on the boards of the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Improvement
(AHHQI) and International Franchise Association, and is a member of the IFA Women’s Franchise
Committee. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Ms. Gilmartin earned her bachelor’s degree from
D’Youville College and resides in South Florida.
Steven J. Greenbaum, CFE
Steven Greenbaum is the CEO of PostNet International Franchise Corp and has served in this position
since he co-founded the company in 1992. Mr. Greenbaum is an accomplished retail professional and
entrepreneur with more than 29 years of experience in the business services industry and is directly
responsible for the strategic management and direction of the company. Since the inception of PostNet’s
franchise program in 1993, the company has developed more than 700 franchises in the United States
and various countries internationally, including more than 240 locations in Southern Africa. Mr.
Greenbaum was honored with IFA’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003 and the Gary Rockwell
Award for Excellence in Franchise Development in 2004. In addition to serving on, and chairing, a variety
of IFA committees during the past 16 years, including IFA’s Educational Foundation, he served as
chairman of IFA in 2008.
Richard Greenstein, CFE
Rich Greenstein is the Chair of the Franchise and Distribution practice at DLA Piper. For more than 30
years, he has been a transactional lawyer representing clients across multiple industries principally
involving different aspects of franchise and distribution law, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual
property, and licensing. Mr. Greenstein is ranked in Chambers USA as one of the leading franchise
lawyers in the United States. Additionally, in 2014, Mr. Greenstein was presented with the Franchise
Times Dealmaker Award and in 2012, he was named the Best Lawyers’ Atlanta Franchise Law Lawyer of
the year. Mr. Greenstein has regularly been named in The Best Lawyers in America, The International
Who’s Who of Franchise Law, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers and Georgia Super
Lawyer.
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Evan Hackel, CFE
Evan Hackel is the Founder and Principal of Ingage Consulting, a consulting firm focused on improving
the performance of franchises by improving the relationship between franchisees and the franchisor. He
is also the CEO of Tortal Training, the largest provider of training to the franchise industry. Mr. Hackel has
over 30 years of experience in franchising. During that time, he helped start three different, successful
franchising systems. Mr. Hackel led the effort to buy and turn around Flooring America/Flooring Canada—
a troubled franchise organization—from bankruptcy. In four years he was able to grow the troubled
franchise from 250 locations and $700 million in system volume to a very successful company with over
550 locations and $2 billion in volume. Mr. Hackel was also president of Carpet One, with system-wide
sales of over $3.5 billion operating in the US, Canada and Australia. Mr. Hackel is very active in the
franchise community. He is a co-chair of the International Franchise Association’s Knowledge Share Task
Force, a board member of the New England Franchise Association and a Certified Franchise Executive.
Mr. Hackel received an MBA from Boston College, and a BA, in Economics from Colorado College in
Colorado Springs, CO.
Stephen C. Hagedorn
Stephen Hagedorn is the General Counsel of Jani-King International, Inc., which is based in Addison,
Texas. Prior to joining Jani-King in 2009, Mr. Hagedorn was a corporate lawyer with Gardere Wynne
Sewell LLP in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Hagedorn received his B.A. in Biochemistry and Spanish from Texas
Tech University, and J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.
John M. Hamburger
John Hamburger is the founder and president of Franchise Times Corp., a national publisher focused on
franchising and finance. The company publishes Franchise Times Magazine, a national franchise industry
trade journal; the Restaurant Finance Monitor, a monthly financial newsletter which covers the capital
markets in the restaurant industry; and Foodservice News, a monthly newspaper for independent
foodservice and restaurant operators in the Upper Midwest. He also produces a number of conferences
including The Restaurant Finance & Development Conference and the Franchise Finance & Growth
Conference. Mr. Hamburger has over 35 years of experience in franchising and finance and previously
served as chief financial officer of a public restaurant chain and a CPA in a national accounting firm. He is
a frequent speaker at restaurant and franchise industry events on finance and development topics. Mr.
Hamburger attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas in
St. Paul, Minnesota where he graduated with a B.A. in accounting in 1977.
Jim Hartenstein
Jim Hartenstein is the Vice President of International for Little Caesar Enterprises and his entire career
has been internationally focused, starting as a territory salesman in Venezuela and id responsible for all
business outside the United States. Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world, with
International operations in the Latin America/Caribbean, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia/Pacific
regions as well as Canada. Previously, he was Senior Vice President-International and also Regional
Vice President-Latin America at Wendy’s. He has held a number of international General Management
and Sales/Marketing positions with American Express and other multinationals and he and his family
have lived in Venezuela, Panama, Chile and Mexico.
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Rosemarie Hartnett
Rosemarie Hartnett is Co-Founder and President of Abrakadoodle Inc., an international franchisor of
children’s art education services. Ms. Hartnett oversees all Abrakadoodle’s operations, franchise support,
sales, growth initiatives and training services worldwide. She is also Vice Chair of the ICFE Board of
Governors for the International Franchise Association and is a well-known advocate for women in
franchising. Ms. Hartnett is the 2012 winner of the Crystal Compass, awarded by the International
Franchise Association’s Women’s Franchise Committee for leadership in franchising. She is Co-Chair of
the Women’s Franchise Network in the Washington, D.C area. Ms. Hartnett holds a B.A. in Sociology for
Lehman College in New York. Ms. Hartnett lives in Great Falls, VA with her husband, a corporate
attorney, and is the mother of three children.
Jeffery Hayzlett
Jeffrey Hayzlett is a global business celebrity and primetime television show host on Bloomberg
Television. From small businesses to international corporations, his creativity and extraordinary
entrepreneurial skills have enabled him to lead ventures blending his leadership perspectives, insights
into the c-suite and business strategy, mass marketing prowess and affinity for social media. He is a welltraveled public speaker, the author of the bestselling business books, The Mirror Test and Running the
Gauntlet, and one of the most compelling figures in business today. Mr. Hayzlett is a leading business
expert, cited in Forbes, SUCCESS, Mashable, Marketing Week and Chief Executive, among many others.
He shares his executive insight and commentary on television networks like Bloomberg, MSNBC, and
Fox Business. Mr. Hayzlett appeared as a guest celebrity judge on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice with
Donald Trump for three seasons. Drawing upon an eclectic background in business, buoyed by a stellar
track record of keynote speaking and public appearances, and deeply rooted in cowboy lore, Jeffrey
energizes his role driving and delivering change. He is a turnaround architect of the highest order, a
maverick marketer who delivers scalable campaigns, embraces traditional modes of customer
engagement, and possesses a remarkable cachet of mentorship, corporate governance, and brand
building.
Mike Hawkins
Mike Hawkins is the Franchise Developer at the Dwyer Group, specializing in military franchise
development and franchise sales. He moved his way up the company to VP of Franchising. He plays an
active role in the training and management of the franchise development team. Previously, He had sales
and management roles with Leadership Management Institute, E.K. Williams, General Business Services
and All Tune and Lube.
Geoff Hill, CFE
Geoff Hill is a Principal at Roark Capital Group. Roark Capital is a Private Equity Firm based in Atlanta,
GA with $5.5 billion of capital under management. At Roark, Mr. Hill works with the Firm’s franchise and
multi-unit investments which includes 31 businesses that collectively have nearly 18,000 locations and
$16 billion in system-wide revenues across 50 states and 71 countries. Roark’s restaurant portfolio of 17
restaurant concepts, that collectively have more than 15,000 locations and $15 billion in system-wide
revenues across 50 states and 68 countries, includes such brands as Arby’s, Auntie Anne’s, Carl’s Jr.,
Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon, Corner Bakery, Hardee’s, Il Fornaio, McAlister’s Deli, Miller’s Ale House,
Moe’s Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky’s, and Wingstop. Roark’s portfolio also includes brands such as
Anytime Fitness, Atkins Nutritionals, Batteries Plus, Massage Envy, Primrose Schools, and Pet Valu. Mr.
Hill has served on the Board of Governors for the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program for the
International Franchise Association (IFA) where he was past Chairman and the Board of Trustees for the
IFA Educational Foundation. In 2011, Mr. Hill was elected to the Board of Directors for the National
Restaurant Association, where he serves as Chairman for the Restaurant Advocacy Fund and Chairs the
Richard E. Marriott golf tournament. In 2014 Mr. Hill was elected to the Board of Trustees for the National
Restaurant Association Education Foundation.
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Peter D. Holt, CFE
Peter D. Holt is President and Chief Executive Officer for Tasti D-Lite, LLC a Brentwood, Tennessee
based company. Tasti is the number one New York City frozen dairy dessert concept that possesses
lower caloric and fat content than traditional ice cream offerings and recently acquired the rights to Planet
Smoothie, a 100 unit chain of smoothie stores. Mr. Holt earned a Master of Arts degree from the
University of London, and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Washington, where
he graduated cum laude. He has written and lectured extensively on the subject of franchising. He
currently serves on the Board of Directors of the IFA. He served as Chairman on the International Affairs
Network (IAN) of the IFA from 1998 to 2007 and was Chairman of the Global Marketing Group (GLOMAK)
from 1998 to 2007, which advises IFA on all its international franchise activities.
Harvey H. H. Homsey, CFE
Harvey H. H. Homsey is Vice President of Franchise Systems for Express Services, Inc., the franchisor
for Express Employment Professionals, joined Express in 1989 and oversees the responsibilities for the
development and implementation of the Express Employment Professionals franchise sales and
operating system for the nearly 700 franchise offices in the United States, Canada, and South Africa. He
also oversees the responsibilities for research and development and new products and services for the
company, as well as maintaining the ISO Certification for Express. Mr. Homsey serves on the
membership, legislative and labor services committees of the American Staffing Association (ASA). He
also serves on the membership and Franchise Relations committees of the International Franchise
Association (IFA). And he is a board member of the International Franchise Association Certified
Franchise Executive board. Before joining Express, Mr. Homsey served as supervisor for the University of
Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Department for Family Medicine and as publications manager for
TOTCO, Inc., a division of Baker Hughes. He received his bachelor’s degree in English and his master’s
degree in Technical Communications, both from Oklahoma State University. Mr. Homsey was also a
professor for Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City.
Dave Hood
Dave Hood is the President of iFranchise Group. Mr. Hood has held senior management and consulting
positions within the franchising and retailing industries since 1988. Specializing in aggressive growth
strategies and implementation, he is an expert in areas of franchise development and implementation,
retail management, site selection, international business, and strategic planning. Mr. Hood directed the
franchised expansion of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels, one of the fastest-growing and most highly regarded
franchise systems throughout the 1990s. During his tenure at Auntie Anne’s, the company expanded from
a start-up concept to an international system comprising 640 retail locations, 320 corporate employees,
and systemwide sales of over $200 million. As Vice President of Franchise Development, and later
President, Mr. Hood played a key role in the development and implementation of the company’s business
development strategies in both the U.S. and international markets. Mr. Hood has also consulted with a
wide range of franchised and non-franchised organizations in the U.S. and abroad, including Armstrong
World Industries, Allstate Insurance, Australia Post, Ryder Truck Rental, Bridgestone, Nestle, El Pollo
Loco, Einstein’s Bagels, Oreck, Culligan, Denny’s, the U.S. Navy, Haagen-Dazs, Subway, Cosi, Senior
Helpers, Massage Envy, Twentieth Century Fox, and many others.
Haley Hughes
Haley Hughes is the Marketing Manager at Pinot’s Palette. As one of the nation’s top special event
planners, Ms. Hughes makes having fun an art form. Drawing on her marketing expertise and business
acumen, Ms. Hughes’s expert advice assists franchisees in developing tailored marketing plans to help
them grow their businesses. Ms. Hughes has received a number of professional awards. She was
recognized in the Top 25 Planners Nationally by Special Events Magazine, and the Houston Business
Journal named her in its 40 Under 40 list of rising, young professionals. In her spare time, Ms. Hughes
enjoys kayaking on Texas’ rivers and relaxing with a glass of wine in the company of her furry
companions: Frankie, Linus and Ruger.
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Taylor Hulyk
Taylor Hulyk is the social media director at re:group, an integrated marketing agency in downtown Ann
Arbor, Mich. There, she specializes in helping franchise and multi-unit brands create and maintain their
online presence through social media. Ms. Hulyk prioritizes strategy and motivating sales at the forefront
of all social activity, moderated by metrics. Prior to re:group, Ms. Hulyk worked in traditional public
relations and social media at Identity Marketing & Public Relations. She attended the University of
Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a minor in Spanish.
Shep Hyken
Shep Hyken is a customer experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard
Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted
into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession.
He works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers
and employees. His articles have been read in hundreds of publications, and he is the author of Moments
of Magic®, The Loyal Customer, The Cult of the Customer, The Amazement Revolution and Amaze
Every Customer Every Time. He is also the creator of The Customer Focus™ program, which helps
clients develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset. In 1983 He founded Shepard
Presentations and since then has worked with hundreds of clients ranging from Fortune 100 size
organizations to companies with less than 50 employees. Some of his clients include American Airlines,
AAA, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, AETNA, Abbott Laboratories, American Express - and that’s just a few of
the A’s! His most requested programs focus on customer service, customer loyalty, internal service,
customer relations and the customer experience. He is known for his high-energy presentations, which
combine important information with entertainment (humor and magic) to create exciting programs for his
audiences.
Donna Infurchia
Donna Infurchia is the Director of International Support and Training for the Franchise Services Group of
ServiceMaster Global Holdings and has over 15 years of franchise experience, inclusive of previous coownership of a restaurant franchise and for the past 10+ years serving as she leads the Support and
Training function for ServiceMaster’s International Master Licensees across 12 primary countries serving
the brands of ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids and Terminix Consumer brands.
Michael Isakson, CFE
Michael Isakson is currently Managing Partner for Insight to Execution where he provides advisory and
consulting services to the franchising industry. Additionally, Michael owns 5 Merry Maids franchise
operations. He also serves on a Board of Directors / Advisor for a franchise/branch company serving in
home care (non-medical), and a franchise/branch company serving the mobility and accessibility industry.
Mr. Isakson is Chairman of Delta One Leadership Institute. From 2007-September 2012, Mr. Isakson was
President and COO of ServiceMaster's Clean, Merry Maids, Amerispec, and Furniture Medic businesses
where he reported to the CEO of Service Master and managed 12 direct reports with a staff of 335 and
over 6,000 franchises. Mr. Isakson directed all areas of franchise and branch operations, P&L, franchise
support, training, product/equipment, marketing, franchises sales and retired in September 2012 after 35
years of service. In that role he worked with leadership to achieve goals and objectives of the private
equity sponsor and grew consumer level revenues from $1.6 billion to over $2.1 billion. Additionally, he
created the strategic and financial plan to take ServiceMaster to an IPO as a member of the
ServiceMaster executive committee and executed against IPO plan improving cash flow and reducing
debt. From 1994-2007, Mr. Isakson served as President and COO of ServiceMaster's Clean Merry
Maids, Amerisec and Furniture Medic businesses where he grew consumer level revenues from $477
million with 3,200 locations to $1.36 billion with over 5,000 locations during this period. Also, he added
500 franchisees after the acquisitions of Furniture Medic and Amerispec brands into ServiceMaster and
assumed responsibility for leading ServiceMaster's international markets in over 35 countries resulting in
revenue of more than $800 million. Japan, India, United Kingdom and the Middle East were key growth
areas. Mr. Isakson began at ServiceMaster in 1997.
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Rob Israel
Rob Israel is Co-Founder of Doc Popcorn. Under his leadership as CEO, Doc Popcorn became the
largest retailer of fresh-popped popcorn in the world. In July, 2014, Mr. Israel led the sale of Doc Popcorn
to Dippin’ Dots, where he continues his role as part of the senior management team. Prior to Doc
Popcorn, Mr. Israel was the President of Knitwaves, a $40 million apparel company and one of the largest
U.S. manufacturers of girls’ sweaters and sportswear. Mr. Israel was also the CEO and President of
Haggleware, a dynamic pricing application service provider. In addition to his professional endeavors, Mr.
Israel is a Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado, an active member of Young
Presidents Organization / World Presidents Organization and is an advisor to founders and on the Board
of several start-ups. Mr. Israel earned a B.A. from Union College and graduated from Harvard Business
School’s Owners, President and Managers Program (OPM).
Salim Ismail
Salim Ismail is the director of Singularity University and a former Yahoo! executive who built and sold his
company to Google. The author of Exponential Organizations, he works to solve humanity’s greatest
challenges as he looks at how to innovate, turn cutting edge ideas into thriving startups, and apply
leading-edge thinking to invigorate entire industries. He shares informative, entertaining, and downright
jaw-dropping insights on the future of technology and its social impact—all while showing us how these
changes are creating opportunities along the way. Mr. Ismail will look at today’s fastest growing
technologies and the social impact they will have on organizational, political, legal, educational, and
medical systems. From artificial intelligence to biotech, Mr. Ismail will share how these technologies are
changing the face of many industries and creating new innovations and opportunities.
Earsa Jackson, CFE
Earsa Jackson is a Partner at Strasburger & Price, LLP in Dallas, Texas, and chairs the firm’s Franchise &
Distribution Practice. She is a Certified Franchise Executive and former director of the Litigation and Dispute
Resolution Division of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising. Ms. Jackson handles
transactional and litigation matters for franchisors of all sizes. She regularly speaks at conferences on
franchise and other legal issues. She serves on the board of the Diversity Institute created by the
International Franchise Association’s Educational Foundation, as well as for Promise House, Dallas
Christian Women’s Job Corp., and Dallas Children’s Theatre. She has been recognized for franchise work
among “Legal Eagles” by Franchise Times, “Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers, “Texas Rising
Stars” by Texas Monthly magazine, “Texas Super Lawyer” by Thomson Reuters and “The International
Who’s Who of Business Lawyers in Franchise” by Who’s Who Legal. She has been named among “Most
Power and Influential Women in Texas” by Texas Diversity magazine. Ms. Jackson received her B.A. from
the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (magna cum laude) and her Juris Doctor from the University of
Virginia School of Law.
Tim Johnson, CFE
Tim Johnson is the President of FranConnect. His 25 plus years of experience is grounded in Product,
Internet and traditional marketing where he has spear headed the convergence from conventional
methods to optimizing today’s technologies. His tech career took off while overseeing global product and
marketing at Iomega Inc., (Zip Drives). He ran marketing and development for the One Coach franchise
and realized there was a great opportunity to introduce progressive technology into the franchising space.
He launched and grew Process Peak to over 150 Brands and recently sold his company to FranConnect
where he now serves as President of Brand growth.
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Randy Jones
Randy Jones is a Partner at Funding Solutions and has 15 years of franchise finance experience. Mr.
Jones assists franchisees with obtaining financing for all aspects of their business. Their clients range
from large multi-unit operators to those looking to develop their first unit. The company has extensive
experience with transactions in a variety of industries including QSR, Service, Pet Services, and several
concepts centered on child development. Funding Solutions works with franchise concepts with as few
as 10 units open to those with several thousand units. Mr. Jones serves as an adviser to clients helping
them structure and place financing to fulfill their goals. His experience spans SBA loans, Conventional
Financing, Equipment Finance, and Development Lines of credit. He has also worked with several
franchise concepts to arrange financing programs for their franchisees’ remodel and equipment upgrade
initiatives.
Michael Juceam
Michael Juceam is a Franchisee of Right at Home, Inc. He opened the Sarasota office of Right at Home, in
June 2004. Mr. Juceam is an energetic participant in community activities aimed at improving the quality
of life for members of our senior population and is currently serving as Treasurer and member of the Board
of Directors of the Sarasota County Aging Network (SCAN) having previously served as the President of
SCAN. He serves on the national Board of Directors of the Home Care Association of America as well as
the state Board of the Florida Chapter of the Home Care Association of America. He currently sits on the
Health South Rehabilitation Hospital Community Advisory Board and also serves on the Right at Home
Franchisee Brand Council, following his three year term as the Chairman of the Franchise Advisory Council.
He is a past President and member of the Board of Directors of the Manatee Aging Network (MAN) as well
as a past President of the Community Resource Council of Manatee County and a past member of the
Board of Directors of ITN Sarasota, a not-for-profit organization providing transportation services for
seniors. Mr. Juceam also served on the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation’s Senior Task Force and
serves on committees supporting the activities of the Senior Friendship Center, the Parkinsons Foundation,
the Stroke Association of Florida, the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Todd Juneau
Todd Juneau has more than 18 years of experience in domestic and international advertising and media.
He has been responsible for programs with multiple Franchise brands including Massage Envy Spa, The
UPS Store, Home Franchise Concepts, First Service Brands, The Dwyer Group and more. Today, Mr.
Juneau leads Mindstream’s digital media initiatives along with managing agency partnerships with
partners such as Google. He is known for his superior ability to develop, manage and maintain high-level
relationships with clients and partners. He specializes in digital media strategy and analysis with the
ability to identify trends, target markets, partnership opportunities, planning, and execution of advertising
and marketing strategies.
Tamra Kennedy
Tamra Kennedy owns and operates 9 Taco John’s franchises in Minnesota and Iowa. Her 30 year career
path took her from secretary to owner via working nights in the restaurants while studying accounting and
managing the bookkeeping for the previous owner. She believes that the powerful combination of
People, Planning, and Passion is the key to thriving in tomorrow’s marketplace.
John Kersh
John Kersh is currently the Vice President of International Development for Anytime Fitness, the world’s
largest chain of health and fitness clubs with over 2,700 locations operating in 20 countries and on 5
continents, and more than 2 million members. Anytime Fitness was ranked the #1 franchise company in
the world in Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual Franchise 500 list in 2014. Under Mr. Kersh’s leadership,
Anytime Fitness has opened more than 600 gyms outside of the United States in 5 years. The company
is now operating (or opening soon) in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the
Netherlands, Poland, Japan, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, India, and Spain. Mr. Kersh began his fitness industry
career in 1992, working for the Boston-based International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association
(IHRSA), and became their Director of International Development in 1996. In that position, Mr. Kersh
created several of the association’s enduring global initiatives, including magazines and major industry
events in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Mr. Kersh is a member of the International Committee of the
International Franchise Association, and is a 1986 graduate of Michigan State University.
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Mark Kirsch, CFE
Mark Kirsch is a principal in the Washington, DC office of Gray Plant Mooty, and focuses his practice on
domestic and international franchising and distribution matters, including mergers and acquisitions,
commercial transactions, and regulatory and compliance matters, as well as on legal issues related to
franchising, such as data privacy, cyber security and fair credit reporting practices. Mr. Kirsch represents
a variety of clients, from large national and international chains to emerging systems across a wide
spectrum of industries, including restaurants, service businesses, health care, hotels, equipment
manufacturing and distribution, and educational and training businesses. He also is an Operating Partner
of BIP Opportunities Fund, a private equity firm that provides growth capital and operational support to
franchise companies. Mr. Kirsch is a frequent author and speaker at industry and bar association
seminars; and he is active in the franchise industry, currently serving as Chair of the International
Franchise Association’s Supplier Forum, and is a member of the IFA’s Board of Directors and Executive
Committee. Mr. Kirsch received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Rochester, and his J.D.
from The George Washington University. Mr. Kirsch’s awards and honors include recognition in the
International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Chambers, and Best Lawyers in America.
Saunda Kitchen CFE
Saunda Kitchen is a Mr. Rooter franchisee from Sonoma County, California. She is the Immediate Past
Chairwoman of the IFA’s Franchisee Forum and currently serves as a Board Member for the IFA. Ms.
Kitchen has been involved with franchising since 1995. She has co-owned and operated various Dwyer
Group brands to include Mr. Electric, Rainbow International Restoration and Mr. Rooter. Her franchises
have earned such awards as, Top Gun, Market Penetration Leader, and Excellence in Leadership,
Excellence in Mentoring, Sales Leader of the Year, Franchisee of Year and the prestigious Don Dwyer
Award of Excellence. Ms. Kitchen was named Woman of the Year for Mr. Rooter in 2008 and was also
named to the Top 40 under 40 Leaders of the North Bay in California in 2008 and was awarded the 2010
IFA-WFN’s Crystal Compass Award. Her business just received the award she values most, North Bay
Business Best Places to Work, 7 years in a row! Ms. Kitchen also Co -Founded the Zees for Zees Fund
that assists new or struggling franchisees to attend conferences, regionals, and training. She recently
began blogging at www.InSpiritAndOnPurpose.com where she writes about small business and blended
family. In addition, Ms. Kitchen has launched a consulting brand called Ms. Kitchen Speaks where she
gives talks on All Things Business.
Amit Kleinberger, CFE
Amit Y. Kleinberger is the Chief Executive Officer of Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt. Mr. Kleinberger grew
Menchie’s from one store to 500 open stores in seven years, and oversees today the world largest selfserve frozen yogurt franchise. Menchie’s was recognized in “Forbes” as Americas top 100 most promising
companies, and Amit was awarded Americas most promising CEOs. In 2013 and 2014 Amit was featured
twice on CBS’s Emmy award winning hit TV show “Undercover Boss”. His entrepreneurial background
includes owning various businesses in retail, wholesale, distribution, health care and real estate
investments. Mr. Kleinberger is a veteran, and served prior to his business career as an active duty
sergeant in the armed forces, in an infantry combat unit and graduated commanders and sergeants
school.
Kory Kogon
Kory Kogon is Global Practice Leader for Productivity at FranklinCovey and the lead author of The 5
Choices to Extraordinary Productivity, Project Management Essentials for the Unofficial Project Manager,
and Presentation Advantage. Before joining FranklinCovey, Ms. Kogon spent more than 13 years with
AlphaGraphics, Inc, a global franchise with over 300 units. As the Executive Vice President of Worldwide
Operations, she was responsible for the teams helping franchisees start up their business, develop staff,
and reach profitability in a highly competitive, commodity-driven industry. She led the implementation of
ISO 9000, supervised the move of the corporate headquarters from Tucson to Salt Lake City, and
managed the installation of the first companywide global learning system.
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Jeffrey Kolton
Jeffrey Kolton is Principal, Franchise Market Ventures, LLC and is highly regarded as one of the leaders
and innovators in the franchising community, with over 25 years’ experience at the highest levels within
the legal, research, marketing and finance sectors. Mr. Kolton began his professional career as an
attorney with the law firm now known as DLA. In 1989, he founded FRANdata Corporation and sold it to
National Cooperative Bank in 2001. From 2001-2004, he was a partner at Kaufmann Gildin & Robbins,
specializing in transactional legal work in the international and M&A areas, before founding Franchise
Market Ventures in 2004 to provide outsourced strategic development services to market leaders. Mr.
Kolton has been a member of the IFA Board of Directors and Chairman of the Supplier Forum, is an
honors graduate of Cornell University and the London School of Economics, and received his law degree
from Georgetown.
Rob Kruz
Robert Kurz is the Owner of Retro Fitness, Horsham and former. Professional Basketball Player. Retiring
from professional basketball in 2013, Mr. Kurz purchased the rights to two Retro Fitness Franchises in the
Philadelphia suburbs. His first gym, in Horsham, opened this past July to rave reviews. Mr. Kurz played
professional basketball in Spain, Germany and France from 2010 until 2013. He earned three MVP
awards and made First Team All-Import (distinguishing the best foreign players in the top Spanish
league). Prior to his career in Europe, Mr. Kurz signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors during
the 2008-2009 season. He participated in over 40 games and started fives times. Mr. Kurz played in the
NBA D-League for the 2009-2010 season. He received honors including Second Team All-League, DLeague All-Star and team MVP. At the end of the season, the Chicago Bulls signed Kurz for the 2010
playoffs. Mr. Kurz earned a full scholarship to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame. He was
given the rare honor of being named team captain both his junior and senior years. Under his leadership,
the team reached the NCAA tournament twice. He was named team MVP in 2008. In Notre Dame’s entire
history, Mr. Kurz ranks sixth for career blocked shots. In 2008, Mr. Kurz graduated and received his
Bachelors of Science in Management Co.
Helena Lehman
Helena Lehman is a Senior Vice President of Leading Authorities, Inc. She is responsible for building the
company’s business in content marketing strategy among its clientele of national trade and professional
associations and corporate clients in areas such as; creative concepts and event messaging, video
production and graphics, and the creative design and execution of live events and conferences. She
also books high profile musical entertainment and nationally-known political figures, business authors,
athletes and celebrities. Ms. Lehman specializes in building relationships across diverse industry groups
and identifying common needs and best practices in content strategy and communications. Previously,
Ms. Lehman worked for three years as a producer at the Republican National Committee (RNC) in
Washington, for its television division, GOP-TV. In this capacity, she produced daily live shots for
Members of Congress and interviewed prominent political and community leaders, including former
President, George W. Bush, while he was Governor of Texas, for the network’s weekly television
program, and for the 1996 Republic National Convention in San Diego, CA. Ms. Lehman is a graduate of
Cornell University, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Government in 1993, and of The George
Washington University, where she was awarded her Master’s degree in American Politics in 1995. A first
generation American, Ms. Lehman is fluent in Greek and proficient in Swedish, French, and
Italian. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ms. Lehman now lives in Washington, DC with her
husband and two children.
Peter Lindsey
Peter Lindsey is Vice President of Franchising for Sport Clips. He began his franchising career in 1989 as
a Mail Boxes, Etc. (MBE) franchisee in San Diego CA. He joined the Operations department of MBE in
1991 working with directly with Franchisees and assisting them in building their businesses. In 1996 he
oversaw a new discipline called Franchise Relations responsible for transfers, renewals, insurance
compliance, customer service and informal dispute resolution. In 2000 UPS acquired MBE and Mr.
Lindsey was assigned to the re-branding project that ultimately influenced 3,200 MBE locations to
become The UPS Store in 2003. In 2007 he became the National Sales Manager for The UPS Store and
helped lead the sale of over 200 licenses a year for both resale and new store sales.
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Joe Lindenmayer
Joe Lindenmayer is President/COO and co-owner of TSS Photography, Inc. a 220 unit franchise network
in the youth sports, school and event photography industry. He joined TSS in 1993, working in various roles
from field sales to Vice President and eventually President in 2005. In 2008, he and his partner launched a
second concept called Young Masters Art. Mr. Lindenmayer spent six years in the United States Marine
Corps and is a veteran of Desert Storm and served in a tank unit. He is the current Chairman of the IFA’s
VetFran Committee. In addition to his domestic franchise experience, he has opened master franchises in
Canada, Australia and New Zealand and serves on various boards including the Southeast Franchise
Forum and The KV Foundation.
Mark Liston, CFE
Mark Liston is the President of Glass Doctor, one of The Dwyer Group concepts, with over 300 offices
throughout North America. For over 30 years he has been involved with franchise and dealer
organizations – at the franchisor and franchisee level. Mark joined Glass Doctor in early 2010 as the Vice
President of Operation. Before joining Glass Doctor Mr. Liston spent eight years with Valpak where he
first got involved with several of IFA’s boards. Mr. Liston is a past Chairman of the ICFE Board of
Governors and a member of IFA’s Education Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Ned Lyerly, CFE
Ned Lyerly was named Executive Vice President of international franchise operations in June 2012 for
CKE Restaurants. He previously served since August 2006 as senior vice president of global
franchise development. In his present role, Mr. Lyerly dedicates his efforts to expanding the
company's international presence, which has grown to more than 13 percent of the company's
system-wide unit count. With a presence in 29 international markets, international is particularly
important as the company accelerates franchise growth in Mexico, the Middle East, Russia, Asia,
Canada, and Central and South America.
Leonard H. MacPhee
Leonard H. MacPhee is a Partner in Perkins Coie LLP’s Commercial Litigation group and focuses his
practice on franchise and intellectual property litigation, as well as other types of business disputes. He
has extensive experience representing franchisors and other businesses before state and federal trial and
appellate courts, as well as arbitration panels. He frequently represents franchisors in matters relating to
supply chain and distribution, termination and non-renewal, encroachment, advertising and marketing,
trade secrets, trade dress, covenants not to complete and enforcement of trademark rights under both
contracts and the Lanham Act, among other disputes. He also has significant experience defending
claims by multiple franchisees in class actions and “mass” actions.
Renee Maloney, CFE
Renee Maloney is a Co-founder of Painting with a Twist LLC. The company began franchising the
business as Painting with a Twist® in 2009. To date, 186 franchise locations are open all over the
country. Headquartered in Mandeville, Louisiana the company maintains the artwork copyrights and
brand direction of the franchise locations to insure that every location produces the same fun experience
by which the company was founded.
Paul M. Mangiamele
Paul M. Mangiamele is President and CEO at Bennigan’s Franchising Co. Under his leadership,
Bennigan’s has embarked on several initiatives aimed at revolutionizing the casual dining category. The
brand’s comeback is chronicled in his own book, Bennigan’s Return to Relevance: Bleeding Green 25/8,
published in April 2013. His background includes operations, marketing, franchise development and
broker and distributor networks, as well as building and leading teams in start-up, growth and Fortune 500
environments. During his 30-year career, Mr. Mangiamele has served as President & CEO of Salsarita’s
Fresh Cantina; President & CEO of Dalts Classic American Grill; Vice President of Business Development
for Carlson Companies (franchisor of Radisson Hotels, Country Inns and Suites, and T.G.I. Friday's); and
Executive Vice President and COO at Sport Clips. His experience on the franchisee side includes
building multiple units of Uno Chicago Grills in the Midwest.
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Dan Martin, CFE
Dan Martin is the CEO and Founder of IFX Franchise Management Systems. Mr. Martin began his career
in franchising in 1983 when he began working for a Franchise Management & Structuring Firm in San
Diego, California. After a few years of working with some well-known franchise organizations and
franchise law firms, Mr. Martin decided to move to the next level and start his own Franchise
Management & Marketing Firm that would ultimately result in a 300+ franchisor client base servicing
30,000+ franchisees in 23 countries. As a true entrepreneur, Mr. Martin has always recognized
opportunities and capitalized on his knowledge of franchising and his desire to expand his knowledge
base, as well as his company’s client base. While continuing his franchise management practice advising
franchisors on how to maximize their operations, Mr. Martin took on the role of franchisee and invested in
a national fast food franchise, ultimately graduating from two restaurants to managing 14 restaurants as
an exclusive Area Developer in the Southern California market.
Rogelio Martinez, CFE
Rogelio Martinez works as Vice President of International Franchise Development at Tutor Doctor since
May of 2009. Mr. Martinez’s leadership in franchise development has taken the company from 41 units in
2 countries in 2009 to over 400 units in 15 countries today. Previously, Mr. Martinez served as CEO of
Global Alliance, where he helped other Franchise companies expand operations in over 20 countries in 5
continents. Some other past roles include positions at software titans Oracle and SAP. Mr. Martinez
graduated from the Program on Negotiations at Harvard Law School, the MBA program at University of
Montreal, Franchise Management from Georgetown University, Bachelors of International Business at
Monterrey Tech (ITESM), International Finance at University of Geneva and Project Management at
University of Toronto. He is also a Certified Franchise Executive by the International Franchise Association
(IFA) and member of the board of the IFA’s International Committee. Mr. Martinez is fluent in English,
French and Spanish.
Joe Mathews, CFE
Joe Mathews is the Founder of Franchise Performance Group. He has almost 30 years of experience
with such national chains as Subway, Blimpie, Motophoto and Entrepreneur’s Source. He specializes in
the area of franchisee recruitment, sales and franchisee performance. He is a regular presenter at IFA
conferences and is an instructor with the ICFE (Institute of Certified Franchise Executives). He
is author/co-author of three books on Franchising, Street Smart Franchising with Don Debolt and Deb
Percival, Franchise Sales Tipping Point with Thomas Scott, Developing Peak Performing Franchisees.
Julie McBride
Julie McBride serves as PSI’s Senior Social Franchising Advisor, overseeing 31 franchises in 30
countries, and building the capacity of PSI country offices to operate effective social franchises. Ms.
McBride’s considerable experience in social franchising includes her involvement in the early
development of the Greenstar franchise in Pakistan, and the provision of technical assistance to several
other countries in the design and launch of their social franchises, including Myanmar’s Sun Quality
Health Franchise and Zimbabwe’s New Start VCT franchise. Ms. McBride’s professional background
includes private sector experience in pharmaceutical sales and marketing. She earned her Master’s in
Public Health from New York University and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Washington.
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Barry Miller
Barry Miller is the President Sylvan Learning Center of Girard, OH. In 2011, Mr. Miller served on the IFA
Board of Directors and as past chairman of the IFA Franchisee Forum. He is president of NBM
Management Inc., which owns and operates Sylvan Learning Center sites in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as
well as Prometric Computer Based Testing sites at each of these locations. He has been an owner and
operator with Sylvan Learning Centers since 1985. He has served multiple terms as president of the
Sylvan Franchise Owners Association and is also a founding officer and director of Sylvan National
Advertising Inc., a joint franchisee- Sylvan Learning company formed to administer more than $20 million
per year in expenditures. In addition Mr. Miller has served as a franchisee member of the eSylvan Inc.
board of directors, delivering Sylvan Learning Center services to clients over the Internet. He has served
on the IFA Franchisee Forum since 2001, the IFA Minorities in Franchising, Franchise Relations and
Information Technology committees. He is currently vice chairman of the IFA Franchise Relations
Committee and serves on the IFA Educational Foundation board of directors. Previously, he served in
corporate management positions with Midland-Ross and ITT Corporations, including division manager
and engineering manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in
business administration from Kent State University.
Catherine Monson, CFE
Catherine Monson is the CEO of FASTSIGNS® International, Inc. the worldwide franchisor for the more
than 570 FASTSIGNS® sign and graphic centers. With over 30 years of experience in the franchise
industry, Ms. Monson has been instrumental in advancing the processes and functions of several
franchise systems while also focusing on how to improve franchisee satisfaction. She has extensive
experience in operations, franchise development, sales, training and marketing/communications. In 2009,
she was the recipient of the IFA’s prestigious Bonny LeVine Award. In July 2010 she was honored by the
Dallas Business Journal as one of the top 25 Women Industry Leaders in the Dallas Metroplex and in
2012, Ms. Monson appeared on the two-time Emmy Award-nominated reality serious, Undercover Boss,
to learn new ways to further advance the FASTSIGNS brand.
Barbara Moran-Goodrich, CFE
Barbara Moran-Goodrich is CEO at Moran Family of Brands. As Co-founder of Moran Family of Brands,
she has over 24 years’ experience within the franchising and automotive industry. This includes owning
and operating a transmission repair franchise. Barbara presides as CEO/President of Moran Family of
Brands, franchising automotive service brands ranging from transmission repair, general engine repair &
diagnostics to vehicle accessories and now commercial & residential window film installation. Moran
Family of Brands service brands include Mr. Transmission, Multistate Transmission, Dr. Nick’s
Transmission, Milex Complete Auto Care, Alta Mere Automotive Outfitters and Smartview Window
Solutions, with locations in 22 States. Moran Family of Brands was one of the first franchisors’ in the
automotive aftermarket industry to offer cobranded and tri-branded opportunities within their brand
portfolio. In 2014 Ms. Moran-Goodrich was honored as the recipient of the International Franchise
Association’s Bonny LeVine Award. The IFA Bonny LeVine Award recognizes a female franchisor or
franchisee who is a role model and mentor for all, through their business and professional
accomplishments within franchising and our entire society. She served as a member of the Board of
Directors of the IFA – International Franchise Association, from 2006 through February 2012. She has
also been an active member of several committees, focusing on franchise relations and women’s
mentorship. Currently Barbara serves as Chair to the Franchise Relations Committee for the IFA. In
addition, Ms. Moran-Goodrich has served as a member of the Women’s Franchise Committee (WFC) and
was a co-founder of the Chicago WFN in 2002.
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Terri Morrison
Terri Morrison is President of Getting Through Customs, developers of the Kiss Bow or Shake Hands®
Database – now available through McGraw-Hill Digital. She conducts seminars in intercultural
communications, diversity & inclusion and writes for many publications. This year, she is working on her
10th book, Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands: Courtrooms and Corporate Counsels, which will be published by
the American Bar Association. Ms. Morrison’s keynotes on intercultural communications, diversity, and
globalization are both informative and entertaining. Seminar clients include multinationals like AT&T,
Accenture, The American Bar Association, American Airlines, The American Institute of CPAs, American
Express, The Auditing Roundtable, Boeing, Campbell’s Soup, Cisco, Deloitte-Touche, Ernst & Young,
D&B, DuPont, Ernst & Young, Federal Express, Franklin Templeton Investments, HP, IBM, Microsoft,
NATO, Orbitz, Pepsi-Cola, United Technologies, the National Association of Realtors, the National
Business Aviation Association, Global Business Travel Associations, World Trade Associations, multiple
universities, and multiple legal organizations.
Michael Mudd
Michael Mudd is the Franchise Development Manager of Menchie’s Franchising and is a ten-year veteran
in Franchise Development and currently leads the explosive development team of Menchie’s Frozen
Yogurt in number of deals and closing ratios. As the recent winner of FranNet’s “Individual Developer of
the Year, Frick and Frack Award”, Mr. Mudd is a force at helping candidates identify their objectives,
overcome fear and anxiety, and realize their dreams of business ownership. Mr. Mudd lives with his
beautiful family in San Clemente, CA where they enjoy surfing, paddle boarding and Crossfit. Mr. Mudd’s
favorite frozen yogurt flavor is Peanut Butter topped with Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut Butter Sauce.
He has passionately named his “mix” the “Triple Threat”!
Keith Mueller
Keith Mueller is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BookKeeping Express starting the post in July 2013. He
brings to BookKeeping Express a nearly three decade-long history of business consulting experience
having led sales strategies, operating units and the Global Utilities Industry Practice. Mr. Mueller joined
Andersen Consulting in 1982 (n/k/a Accenture), retiring in 2009, following 27 years of exceptional growth
with the company that led them to become the #1 consulting firm in the world. He has consulted, advised
and led company initiatives from a first-of-its-kind payment system with the Internal Revenue Service, to
building a solution that touches more than 300 million utility consumers, to helping develop an
outsourcing practice that generates nearly 50 percent of Accenture’s revenues to this day. In his last five
years at Accenture, he also helped develop new solutions through the use of differentiated, Accentureexclusive assets that could be employed at clients. Mr. Mueller has led extremely large teams, driven
significant growth in profit and loss entities, managed global teams, delivered complex system
integrations, and most importantly, driven significant value to small firms and Fortune 500 companies. He
is a personal investor in numerous startup companies, including Bloom Energy, Alevo, Jitasa, Solid
Carbon and Bookkeeping Express, and currently sits on the boards of Bookkeeping Express and UFood
Grill. Mr. Mueller graduated with a BS in Finance and Economics from Illinois State University.
Janet Muhleman, CFE
Janet Muhleman is the President of Re:group Inc. Ms. Muhleman founded her own firm Group 243 in
1974 then lead her team through a series of mergers and acquisitions prior to creating re:group in 2002.
A survivor of the consolidation era of the advertising industry, she has been a pioneer in marketing
complex, multi-unit companies. Her more than 30 years of leadership has contributed to the growth and
success of a number of national and international brands including A&W Restaurants, Ben & Jerry’s
Scoop Shops, Chevron Extra Mile, Domino’s Pizza, Duskin Co. Ltd., Children’s Orchard, The Medicine
Shoppe Pharmacy, HealthPlus of Michigan, DTE Energy, United Bank & Trust and Citizens Bank. Ms.
Muhleman is a frequent speaker and educator on marketing and branding. She currently serves on the
Marketing and Public Relations Committee of the International Franchise Association and the
International Certified Franchise Executive, Board of Trustees. She also has served on the advisory
board of the International Institute for Franchise Education at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business
and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University.
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Larry Myer
Larry Myer is Vice President of Business Development for F.C. Dadson, a manufacturing and program
management company specializing in creating, constructing, fulfilling and installing retail environments
and kiosks. He has over 30 years of consultative experience and for the last 12 years has specialized in
helping national franchises expand their businesses. He believes relationship-building and personalized
services are the key to any project’s success.
Yoshino Nakajima
Yoshino Nakajima is the Senior Vice President and COO, Global Operations for Home Instead Senior
Care. She is responsible for International Franchise Development and International Business of Home
Instead Senior Care which now has the largest global presence of any senior care company and
consistently produces double-digit growth from global sources serving seniors from over 1,000 offices in
18 markets worldwide.
Greg Nathan, CFE
Greg Nathan is psychologist, author of five popular franchising books and Founder of the Franchise
Relationships Institute. He is also the developer of The Franchise E-Factor model and recipient of several
prestigious franchising awards such as the inaugural Contribution to Franchising award. This year he was
inducted into the Australian Franchise Hall of Fame.
Justin Nelson
Justin Nelson is Co-Founder and President of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Mr.
Nelson is the co-founder and president of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. He has
used his background in small business and issues advocacy to help build a national organization that has
given a much-needed economic identity to the LGBT community. Since its inception in 2002, the
organization has grown to be the largest LGBT economic advocacy and business development
organization in the world. Prior to launching the NGLCC, Mr. Nelson was the Director of Federal Affairs
and External Relations for the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Washington, DC. While helping
craft and implement the legislative agenda of one of the top medical specialty associations, Mr. Nelson
spent five years fighting for patient and physician rights before Congress, the White House and regulatory
agencies. Mr. Nelson was on the forefront of some of the most contentious healthcare debates in recent
congressional memory.
Edwin Nissanoff
Edwin Nissanoff is VP of Brand Sales at Local Market Launch, a provider of business listings
management and local presence solutions for national brands, multi-location businesses, franchises, and
local SMBs through a growing network of channel partners, including directory publishers, newspaper
publishers, broadcast media companies, digital media agencies and certified marketing representatives
(CMRs). The company is delivering new standards of quality and service to business listings
management that combines the best of technology with the quality-controlled ease of a do-it-for-you
solution. Mr. Nissanoff has over 10 years of digital marketing experience working directly with large
brands and/or their agency partners.
Mary Ann O’Connell, CFE
Mary Ann O'Connell is the Founder of FranWise® a franchise consulting firm. She began her franchising
career 30 years ago as Money Mailer’s first franchisee, then, was hired as their Vice President of
Franchise Support Services. As part of the Great Clips, Inc. executive staff, she helped launch two major
markets and supported several emerging and mature markets. As a consultant, she has worked with
major brands as well as new concepts and the top professionals in the world of franchising. Ms.
O’Connell and FranWise® focus on: strategic planning related to franchise conversion, franchise
operations, process and procedure, compliance, manuals and training. She sits on several IFA
committees, chairs the WFC and frequently contributes to IFA with articles and presentations.
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David Oppenheim
David W. Oppenheim is a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He concentrates his practice on
domestic and international franchising, licensing and distribution matters. He is recognized by Chambers
USA as a leading, national franchise attorney. He advises both emerging and mature companies with
respect to planning, structuring and implementing national and international franchise, distribution and
licensing programs, including negotiating franchise agreements, ancillary agreements, regulatory
compliance, including the preparation of franchise disclosure documents and securing registration of
franchise offerings in the United States and abroad. Mr. Oppenheim is also experienced in mergers and
acquisitions and sophisticated financing transactions, including the securitizations of a franchisor’s royalty
stream. He represents private equity firms and public and private companies in the acquisition of
franchise, licensing and distribution systems. Mr. Oppenheim routinely counsels clients regarding the
implementation of compliance programs and system-wide standards. He also advises franchise clients
regarding complex franchise relationship issues and disputes.
Amit Pamecha, CFE
Amit Pamecha is the Founder & CEO of FranConnect®, a franchise software system that supports
franchises’ every operational aspect, from sales and recruitment, to performance and operations
management, building franchisee relationships, and local franchisee marketing. Under his leadership,
FranConnect® has grown to become the world’s largest and most recognized technology provider to
franchise systems, having helped 500 brands and over 75,000 franchise locations. He is a frequent
speaker, motivator, and strategist helping franchise organizations find creative solutions to their complex
needs. He currently serves on the board of the IFA supplier forum. Prior to FranConnect, he was a Cofounder and CTO of Zgraffiti and the Director of E-Commerce at SRA International, a global consulting
leader. He holds a Master of Science in Robotics from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of
Technology from IIT Delhi.
Hair Parra
Hair Parra is V.P. of International Development at Wing Zone. He is a veteran professional with combined
expertise in International and Domestic business with over 28 years of experience in restaurant
operations, training, franchise consulting, Master Franchisee and market development Worldwide. Mr.
Parra started his career in the food industry in 1984, as a Driver with Domino’s Pizza Inc. and quickly
worked his way up to a Divisional V.P. for Latin American. He help others position before took over the
Continent: Divisional Vice President – Latin America, Caribbean and Puerto Rico; Franchise Operations
Director Latin America and Mexico; Franchise Operations Director Central America, Operations Director
Honduras and Corporate Area Supervisor (U.S.). He was a Master Franchisee for Domino’s Pizza in
Brazil, put together the all International Department to launch Papa John’s International, created a new
Italian concept, as a consultant help to develop new concepts Domestic and International and took
Benihana into the Latin American Market.
Matthew Patinkin
Matthew Patinkin is the Co-Founder of Double P Corporation, a multi-unit franchisee based in
Chicago. Double P owns and operates Auntie Anne’s Pretzel's, Red Mango Frozen Yogurt and Jamba
Juice stores, and is the largest franchisee of Auntie Anne’s Pretzel's in the U.S. In addition to serving on
Double P Corp's board, Mr. Patinkin serves on the board of GSP Retail, a leading provider of point of
purchase solutions and advanced technology aimed at improving the performance of multi-unit retail
locations. Mr. Patinkin also chairs the advisory board of Ale Syndicate Brewery, a craft brewer based in
Chicago. Finally, Mr. Patinkin serves as President of Patinkin Red Angus Farms. Mr. Patinkin is married
with three grown children, and graduated from Beloit College with a degree in Economics.
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Jack Pearce, CFE
Jack Pearce is the Executive Director of Franchise Relations at Annex Brands, Inc., a 450+ unit franchise
organization comprised of six unique brands within the mail and parcel, custom packaging, shipping and
printing industries. He was formerly a Chief Operations and Financial Officer at another national franchise
organization and serves on two national IFA committees, Franchise Relations and Information Technology.
He most recently published a new IFA Handbook titled “Effective Development of a Franchise Support
Organization” available at www.franchise.org.
Jayson Pearl, CFE
Jayson Pearl is responsible for creating and implementing brand development strategies across all
communication channels. He leads cross-functional teams responsible for marketing and national
accounts for over 280 BrightStar Care® locations in 38 States. Jayson brings 25 years of franchise
leadership in marketing and operations for regional and national brands. Prior to joining BrightStar,
Jayson led strategic marketing and new product development for global brands working closely with
quality and operations executives of national franchise groups. Mr. Pearl received his MBA from the
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Brian Petranick, CFE
Brian Petranick is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Right at Home, Inc. In the 16 years that
Mr. Petranick has been with Right at Home, he has been instrumental in leading the organization’s growth
and development from a single site home care provider to an internationally recognized home care
brand. Mr. Petranick has more than 28 years of experience in healthcare, entrepreneurship, and
business development. Prior to joining Right at Home, Mr. Petranick worked with three other nonfranchise companies, helping them expand into larger national and international health care systems.
Parker F. Pieri, CFE
Parker F. Pieri is the Vice President of Finance of The Dwyer Group. Mr. Parker manages the team
responsible for the finance, accounting, and treasury management functions of The Dwyer Group. In
addition to this management role, Mr. Parker provides financial oversight and strategic assistance to the
various divisions of the company. Mr. Parker has previous experience in franchising as a franchisee when
he opened a Comfort Keepers franchise. Prior to joining The Dwyer Group, Parker served as Chief
Financial Officer for High Plains Corporation, a publicly traded ethanol producer. Mr. Parker has served
in senior financial roles in the oil and gas, petrochemical, fertilizer, pipeline, and non-profit industries. He
has also owned a CPA practice, providing expert financial advice to small businesses in various
industries including manufacturing, construction, printing, distribution, and franchising. Mr. Parker
graduated from Texas A&M University in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a bachelor’s
degree in business analysis. He completed his MBA at the University of Houston in 1991 and became a
Certified Public Accountant in 1992. Mr. Parker earned his Certified Franchise Executive designation in
2012.
Terry Powell, CFE
Terry Powell is the Founder of The Entrepreneur’s Source. Mr. Powell founded The Entrepreneur's
Source in 1984 as a business coaching firm that provides support and guidance to aspiring business
owners. Today, it has evolved into North America’s leading career and franchise business coaching
company with more than 200 franchisees throughout the United States and Canada. In recent years, its
coaches have placed tens of thousands of people in businesses and franchises, representing over 400
million in client investment dollars. In 2007, Powell launched Franchise Source Brands International™
(FSBI), a multi-brand franchisor principally engaged in growing solid concepts into major international
franchise brands. Today, the company operates highly-ranked franchises, including: AdviCoach®, The
Entrepreneur’s Source®, ZorSource®, Expense Reduction Coaching®, Decor&You®, Franchise Match®
, WEBB Women Empowered by Business® and BP Marketing Coach®.
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Alissa Ramsay, CFE
Alissa Ramsay currently serves as Director of Marketing and Branding for MilliCare Textile and Carpet
Care where she brings an extensive background in brand management, operations and marketing, as
well as the perspective of a former small business owner. Ms. Ramsay is a cultural ambassador with an
uncompromising commitment to people and quality. She is passionate about small business and
specializes in small to medium size service-based franchise concepts. She is a graduate of The Ohio
State University.
Shelby Reno
Shelby Reno is the Director of Marketing and communications for TWO MEN AND A
TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. which is headquartered in Lansing, MI. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is
the largest franchised moving company in the US with operations in 38 states, Canada, Ireland and the
UK. Reno manages the national ad fund, global brand strategy, online and offline lead generation, social
media, promotions, and public relations, and she oversees over 300 web properties for the brand. Ms.
Reno previously held director of marketing positions at Independent Bank and Huntington Bank, spending
over a decade in the banking sector. She holds a BA in English from Boise State University, an MBA from
Lawrence Technological University and a graduate degree in banking from the University of WisconsinMadison. Ms. Reno is an instructor for the MSU Perry School of Banking, teaching the marketing session
for second-year participants. She has held several board positions, including president of the American
Marketing Association West Michigan; VP and ADDY Awards chair for both the American Advertising
Federation West Michigan and Ad Club of Northern Michigan; and chair of the Mental Health Foundation
of West Michigan. For fun and to stay fit, Ms. Reno has taught group fitness since 1997 and currently
teaches indoor cycling in Grand Rapids where she resides.
Meg Roberts
Meg Roberts joined Service Brands International in 2007, serving as the Vice President of Marketing
overseeing both Molly Maid and Mr. Handyman. Her primary focus was on national brand marketing with
an emphasis in web-related strategy, where triple-digit consumer lead flow was realized as a result of her
team’s efforts. Ms. Roberts’s leadership style, team development skills, management and strategic
planning are what led to her appointment as President of Molly Maid in 2012. Ms. Roberts’s was named
to Crain’s Detroit Magazine 40 under 40 and was featured in an episode of the A&E series “Be the Boss.”
She serves on the Marketing Committee of IFA, The Women’s Franchise Committee and is part of the
IFA Convention Planning team. Ms. Roberts’s is most passionate about the intersection of technology
and customer psychographics to improve service, drive sales and further develop the Molly Maid brand.
Prior to Molly Maid, Ms. Roberts’s spent eight years in marketing and television advertising with BBDO
Chicago. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts in
Marketing Research from Michigan State University.
Adam Robinson
Adam Robinson co-founded Hireology with the mission to help growing companies make better hiring
decisions through data and better technology. Previously, He was the co-founder and CEO of illuma, a
leader in high-volume recruitment outsourcing solutions, and the creator of the Ionix Hiring System, a full
suite of interview and assessment tools. Mr. Robinson is passionate about entrepreneurship, donating
time to a number of organizations that support the entrepreneurial cause. He has served in multiple
leadership roles for Entrepreneurs Organization, a global network of over 10,000 business owners. He is
also on the Board of Advisors for DePaul University's Coleman Entrepreneurship Center, where he
serves as both a resource and speaker for this top-ranked Entrepreneurship program. Mr. Robinson
completed his undergraduate study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received his
MBA from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.
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Marla Rosner, CFE
Marla Rosner is the Senior Training Consultant for MSA Worldwide, which consults franchisors at various
stages of development providing training design and development services as well as guidance regarding
training infrastructure. For new franchisors she creates operations manuals, assists in systemizing
operational procedures and structures new franchisee training programs. For established franchisors, she
assesses the effectiveness of current training, identifies training gaps and designs programs to train store
level personnel, as well as headquarters staff.
Jon Rucker, CFE
Jon Rucker is the Manager of the Military Program at Snap-on Tools and a Member of the VetFran
Committee. He always knew Snap-on Tools made the BEST tools in the world, but had no idea it was a
GREAT business model. Now he gets to share that sentiment with veteran organizations, transition
assistance offices, and so many service members contemplating the next phase in their lives. He is
extremely proud to be a part of the Snap-on Tools team and incredibly humbled with my charge to deliver
our franchise opportunity with so many amazing entities. He loves what we are doing to help our
veterans “Be in Business with the Best!”
Robert Salkowski
Robert F. Salkowski is a Partner with the law firm of Zarco, Einhorn, Salkowski & Brito, P.A., located in
Miami, Florida. He has practiced franchise, dealership and distribution law for over 20 years, and
regularly represents franchisees, automobile dealers and hotel owners throughout the United States. Mr.
Salkowski also frequently lectures about franchise and distribution matters, has authored numerous
articles on these subjects in industry and legal publications, and has received a number of awards and
recognitions from national publications, including The Best Lawyers in America for Franchise Law.
James Satterfield
Jim Satterfield is the President/CEO/Founder of Firestorm Franchising, LLC. Mr. Satterfield is a
nationally-recognized expert on crisis management, threat assessment, disaster preparedness and
business continuity planning. He has spoken to hundreds of groups on risk management, governance,
and disaster planning. He is co-author of a book entitled Disaster Ready People For A Disaster Ready
America. Mr. Satterfield led the Firestorm team that provided the crisis and media management support
at Virginia Tech in response to the shootings there years ago. He has been President, CEO, and COO of
various public and private companies in insurance, reinsurance, technology, communications, and
environmental fields. He is the premier CRISIS COACH®.
Tom Schad
Tom Schad is the Director of Communications for DineEquity, the largest full-service dining company in
the world, and parent company to the dining industry’s iconic IHOP and Applebee’s brands. Mr. Schad
has 25 years’ communications experience working for national category leaders like Allstate Insurance,
YRC Freight, H&R Block and DineEquity, Mr. Schad understands the power of a brand and the critical
importance of using meetings and events as a key marketing and growth tool. In this role Mr. Schad
works with company leaders to establish and communicate the brand’s promise, vision and strategies to
its 99% franchise-owned operations, including planning and executing the brands’ global conferences and
major franchise and employee meetings.
Doug Schadle
Doug Schadle is the CEO and Co-founder of Rhino 7 Franchise Development. Mr. Schadle has been in
Franchisor Development and Franchise Sales for more than 20 years. Having co-founded Rhino 7 in
1999, Mr. Schadle has an extensive background in: franchise brand infrastructure and development
systems; franchise consultant/broker lead development and cultivation; franchisor growth strategies and
territory development; and franchise sales systems, solutions and management. He graduated from
Western Carolina University.
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Kathleen Schneider, CFE
Kathy Schneider is a Franchisee of Instant Imprints and a Franchise Community Partner. She specializes
in assisting employers identify buyer adoption and risk reduction strategies to gain a competitive market
advantage. Most recently working with Higher Logic, a provider of enterprise social networks, to develop a
division for franchising, she has been involved with franchising for over 20 years. As a VP and company
officer for SRC- An Aetna Company, Ms. Schneider assisted franchisors in applying technology to business
processes. She developed a limited benefit portfolio of group voluntary products for uninsured populations
and oversaw the company’s sales and service organizations, nationally. Prior to joining Higher Logic, Ms.
Schneider was a Company Officer for SRC- An Aetna Company for twenty years and spent ten years as a
Director of HR/HRIS for a subsidiary of Chemed Corporation where she oversaw Risk Management,
Governmental Affairs, Employee and Labor Relations. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, a Master’s in
Business Administration, and a Lifetime Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. She
and her family are also franchisees for Instant Imprints in Orange County.
Brian Schnell, CFE
Brian Schnell is a Partner at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. With more than 25 years of experience in
franchising and product distribution, Mr. Schnell Schnell is the chair of the firm's franchise practice that
represents franchisors with headquarters based across the United States and abroad. Mr. Schnell's
experience uniquely includes serving as the COO and Chief Legal Officer during 2012 for one of the
country's leading health care franchisors. In the role, he led the company's field operations team and the
franchise administration and legal groups. With this unique legal and business experience, Mr. Schnell
counsels both emerging and mature franchisors in a variety of industries, ranging from companies with
thousands of locations worldwide to companies in the initial stages of building franchise systems. His
clients operate in dozens of industries where franchising plays a key role in the U.S. and global
economies. Mr. Schnell combines his experience with a passion for — and keen understanding of —
franchising to find practical solutions for clients. Like the rest of the Faegre Baker Daniels franchise team,
he is committed to focusing on what matters most and making a difference in working with franchisors on
their challenges and opportunities.
Joe Sciara
Joe Sciara leads SMG’s mobile research and brand measurement efforts, helping clients understand
more about who their customers are, and what they can do to win greater market share. He brings more
than 20 years’ experience building brands for some of the country’s biggest companies, including CocaCola, Sprint, 24 Hour Fitness, and many more. Prior to joining SMG, Mr. Sciara headed the retail account
group at Barkley, an advertising agency in Kansas City. This previous experience provides him with a
unique understanding of what drives the retail industry. In 2003 he was named by Ingram’s Magazine as
one of the top 40 business professionals under 40 in the Kansas City area. Mr. Sciara holds an MBA from
the University of Missouri–Kansas City Bloch School of Business.
Maryellen Sebold
Maryellen Sebold is a Managing Director in BDO Consulting’s Los Angeles office with more than 25 years
of experience in the areas of forensic accounting and fraud investigations, litigation consulting,
bankruptcy and corporate restructuring. She also has experience in calculating economic damages,
evaluating shareholder and partnership disputes, analyzing budget overruns, determining lost profits,
evaluating alter-ego issues, tracing assets and calculating royalties. In addition, she has performed
investigations into allegations of fraud and mismanagement and conducted operational assessments for
businesses struggling with underperformance issues. A Certified Public Accountant, Certified Insolvency
and Restructuring Advisor and Certified in Financial Forensics, Ms. Sebold has testified in trials,
depositions and arbitrations, applying her specialized knowledge to a wide range of industries, including
manufacturing, construction, entertainment, franchises, home healthcare, insurance, publishing, real
estate, securities, and transportation.
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Geoffrey Seiber
Geoff Seiber is President & Chief Executive Officer- FranFund, Inc. Mr. Seiber’s extensive experience
within the franchise community led to his contention that the franchise industry was lacking a financial
partner that truly understood the funding needs of franchisors and their franchisees. This was the genesis
of FranFund, which was formed in 2006. Mr. Seiber’s prior franchise experience includes co-founding
FranChoice, a franchise consultation service for prospective franchisees, in 1999. Before that he served
as Regional Director for Great Clips, Inc. where he assisted franchisees with critical functions in real
estate, store construction, recruiting, operations, marketing and financing. Mr. Seiber began his franchise
career with Domino's Pizza Inc. at the height of the company's expansion in 1981. By 1985, he
was responsible for the system operations, growth and performance of over 200 Domino's Pizza
corporate and franchise units in the Midwest. Mr. Seiber now serves on several corporate and advisory
boards in the franchise industry.
Michael Seid
Michael H. Seid is the founder and Managing Director of Mr. Seid H. Seid & Associates, LLC (MSA
Worldwide), a domestic and international franchise consulting firm. For more than 30 years, Mr. Seid has
served as a Senior Operations and Financial Executive or Consultant for companies within the franchise,
retail, restaurant, hospitality healthcare, education and service industries as well as having been a
franchisee. Mr. Seid has consulted both domestically and internationally for companies on the
appropriateness of franchising, licensing, and other methods of downstream distribution for their products
and services; the design and development of franchise and licensing systems; and for established
franchisors and other multi-unit franchisees. MSA assists companies in becoming franchisors and
provides services in developing retail and operating systems, operations manuals and training programs,
franchisor marketing and expansion strategies, real estate selection and site development, franchisee
advisory councils, franchisee relations, crisis management, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions,
and the strategic restructuring of established franchisors.
Debra Shwetz, CFE
Debra Shwetz is Co-founder of Nothing Bundt Cakes. In 2006, Ms. Shwetz was charged with developing
the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchising system. She developed the sales process, wrote the manuals,
maintained all compliance records, put in place the entire bakery opening process, and then facilitated the
sale of each franchise through the Grand Opening. Today, she remains an integral part of the franchise
process assisting in sales, program development, franchisee support, franchisee relations and strategic
planning. She graduated from The University of Washington in Seattle with a degree in Psychology. She
received her CFE (Certified Franchise Executive designation) in 2012 and she is currently Chair of the
Women’s Franchise Committee. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Franchise Leadership
and Development Conference.
Bonnie Siegel
Bonnie Siegel is Founder, President and CEO of ASE Group, Inc. She founded ASE Group, Inc. in 1987
with one vision in mind: offer clients’ exceptional event marketing and meeting planning that exceed their
own goals and objectives. Ms. Siegel has 25 years of experience being dedicated to the Franchise,
Retail and Dealer industry and has developed a global client list – proof positive her approach works. In
the 80’s Ms. Siegel coordinated events and meetings on behalf of the U.N. Secretariat. Simultaneously,
she planned and implemented events for major fundraising organization in New York. Over the years,
Ms. Siegel has been able to define herself in a niche market with the understanding that “Our clients are
not buying the product or service we sell; our clients are buying the outcome we offer”. Ms. Siegel has
been honored with numerous awards over her tenure in the meeting and event industry, including: Two
Special Event Gala awards, Kansas Women Owned Business of the Year, Johnson County Business
Times “CEO of the Year” runner-up, Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year”, ASE was named Kansas
City’s Fastest Growing Companies for five consecutive years, and Siegel was an inductee of the Kansas
City’s “Women Who Mean Business” inaugural class.
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Benjamin Simon
Benjamin Simon is currently Senior Director of International Franchise at Radio Shack Corporation,
overseeing the day-to-day operations and development of the International Franchise division, which has
a presence in 26 countries and more than 15 countries signed for future development. Prior to joining
RadioShack in 2011, Mr. Simon helped develop a franchise network of retail and quick-service restaurant
brands for Global Franchise Group, LLC (TAF®, Shoebox New York®, MaggieMoo’s®, Marble Slab
Creamery®, Pretzelmaker® and Great American Cookies® / 1,700+ store locations in 40 countries at that
time). Mr. Simon gained expertise in retail franchising early in his career with responsibilities in the field
and at a corporate level for The Athlete’s Foot® Group and several other sporting goods
manufacturers/retailers in the U.S. and Europe. He also co-founded Podotechnology, a solutions provider
specializing in retail digital interaction. Mr. Simon is a native of France with extensive experience in
conducting business internationally, an avid marathon runner and a proud dad.
Michael Skitzki, CFE
Michael Skitzki is the Vice President of TITLE Boxing Club, where he designed and implemented a
franchise management structure to take the company from an emerging regional concept to an
international brand in under 2 years. Currently the brand has more than 140 open clubs in the US and
Mexico with over 500 franchises awarded; he is currently coordinating efforts to continue international
expansion in 2015. Mr. Skitzki has spent over a decade in the franchise industry. He joined the Ann
Arbor-based Service Brands International in 2003 and later became senior development manager,
overseeing franchise development for its Molly Maid and Ductz brands. He spearheaded formation of the
Belfor Franchise Group, parent to DUCTZ and HOODZ, and served as Vice President beginning in 2010.
With his systemization, DUCTZ and HOODZ each grew into the largest in their industry within three
years. Recruited as VP of TITLE Boxing Club in 2012, Mr. Skitzki created systems and infrastructure
growing the brand from under 100 franchises to over 500 in less than 2 years. Membership more than
doubled to over 50,000 in the past year. From TITLE Boxing Club’s offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr.
Skitzki oversees franchise sales, franchise administration and the company's directors of training,
operations and marketing. In 2013 he was honored by Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40 awards
which honors the best and brightest who have made their marks in business before age 40. Mr. Skitzki
volunteers as a mentor with the International Franchise Association and UofM athletics.
Bill Spae, CFE
Bill Spae is a veteran restaurant and retail executive with 40 plus years of leadership experience. Mr.
Spae has worked for distinguished food service companies such as McDonalds, Burger King, TGI
Friday’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell (a division of Pepsi Cola), Metromedia Restaurant Group in executive
leadership roles in all their brands; Ponderosa/Bonanza, Steak & Ale, and Bennigan’s. He also has
worked building two leading retail businesses, Hollywood Video and Palm Beach Tan. Mr. Spae also had
2 restaurant businesses of his own; a full service Mexican food restaurant chain and as a franchisee of
Taco Bueno. Mr. Spae most recently was the COO of CiCi’s Enterprises, LP, franchisor of CiCi’s Pizza
and owner of JMC Distribution Company and the CEO of Mooyah Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, a better
burger restaurant chain and is currently the President and CEO of Vasari LLC, the largest Dairy Queen
franchisee in Texas and the second largest in the DQ system. He has been very active in community and
charitable work.
Brian Spindel, CFE
Brian E. Spindel is the President, COO and Co-Founder of PostNet, which operates a worldwide network
of more than 700 full-service, neighborhood business centers. Mr. Spindel is very active in the franchising
community. He has been a panelist and speaker at numerous conventions, has served as the chair the
International Franchise Association’s Technology Committee and on the IFA Educational Foundation’s
Board of Trustees. He also holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive.
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Jim Squire, CFE
Jim Squire is Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Firestorm, overseeing franchise
development and alternative channel expansion for the brand. Firestorm is a national franchise company
specializing in crisis management, vulnerability analysis/threat assessment, and business continuity. Mr.
Squire also serves as president and CEO of Franchise Marketing Advisors, LLC, a broad based franchise
development consulting practice. Prior to Firestorm and FMA Squire was a senior executive with such
well-known franchise brands as HoneyBaked, Great American Cookies, Arby’s, Day’s Inns and Howard
Johnson. Passionate about franchising as the “great American dream”, Mr. Squire is involved in the
following national franchise industry boards and committees: founding chairman of the Board of
Governors of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives; member of the Board of Trustees of the
International Franchise Association’s Educational Foundation and recipient of the Foundation’s highest
honor, the William Rosenberg Leadership Award; member of IFA’s Franchisor Forum and the Franchise
Relations and Membership Committees; and former member of the IFA Board of Directors. On the local
level he serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Franchise Forum.
Philip St. Jacques, CFE
Philip St. Jacques is Cofounder of St. Jacques Marketing. He identified a gap and limit to services that
agencies typically provide and their surface level understanding of the construct of franchise brands and
how that impacted franchise brand growth. The St. Jacques brand of marketing leadership centers on an
insight based strategic process that is the hallmark of St. Jacques Marketing’s success today.
Understanding that quality research and analysis delivers insights that leads to distinct positioning is the
cornerstone of marketing success and the date that brands need to make strategic growth decisions. A
graduate of Rutgers University, he lives in Morris County, NJ and loves spending time with his wife and
three boys. When he’s not steering St. Jacques he can be seen coaching his son’s travel soccer and
basketball teams and might find a pick up hockey game here or there.
Robert Stidham
Robert Stidham is President of Franchise Dynamics, a full-service franchise sales outsourcing firm. Based
in Chicago, Franchise Dynamics currently represents a number of emerging to large-sized franchisors in
a wide variety of categories throughout the United States and worldwide. Mr. Stidham is an accomplished
franchise sales and business development executive with a proven track record of increasing franchise
units, revenue and profitability while gaining market share and expanding brand awareness for both new
franchise concepts and established brands. He has held a variety of positions in the franchise industry in
franchise development, operations, consulting and as a franchise company president. Mr. Stidham is
active in the International Franchise Association (IFA), serving as a member of the International
Committee (formerly Global Marketing Committee – GLOMAK) and Research Committee, having
previously served as a member of the IFA Membership Committee.
Michael Stone
Michael Stone is a former NFL athlete turned entrepreneur. During his 7 years in the NFL, he played for
the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Houston Texans and New York Giants.
Upon retirement he founded Coliseum Enterprises as a firm develops, deploys and manages marketing
programs and educational based initiatives that assist professional athletes in leveraging their current or
former sports careers. Mr. Stone’s ability to reach and relate to his professional athlete peers, coupled
with his ability to identify business opportunities, has allowed him to bring a new way of thinking to the
athlete community. After multiple years of experience developing and managing athlete/vendor
relationships Mr. Stone located an opportunity to create a bridge between the professional athlete and
franchisor communities. With the support of the International Franchise Association Mr. Stone has
developed the Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative (PAFI) www.thepafi.org as the premier source of
education and interaction for professional athletes interested in franchising. PAFI has partnerships with
50+ franchisors, multiple franchise suppliers and numerous sports leagues. Currently Michael serves as
the executive director of the Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative (PAFI) and Chief Executive Officer of
Coliseum Enterprises. Mr. Stone holds a BA in Architecture from University of Memphis and participated
in the NFL Executive Education Programs at Stanford, Wharton and Kellogg Business Schools.
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Jeff Sturgis, CFE
Jeff Sturgis is the Chief Development Officer for McAlister’s Deli and has over 17 years of experience in
the areas of franchise sales, franchise development and franchise strategy. In his current role, Mr. Sturgis
is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of all store development, real estate and franchise
sales activities. Prior to joining McAlister’s, Mr. Sturgis was the Founder and President of Franchise
System Advisors, a consulting and strategic planning firm focused on the franchise industry. At Franchise
System Advisors he worked with franchisors to help them evaluate, develop and implement successful
franchise sales & development strategies. Prior to founding FSA, Mr. Sturgis spent three and a half years
as the Vice President of Franchise Development for Fantastic Sams Hair Salons, an 1100 unit chain of
full service hair salons. At Fantastic Sams, he led the franchise sales, real estate and store development
functions. Prior to Fantastic Sams, Mr. Sturgis spent four and half years as the Regional Vice President of
Franchise Sales for FOCUS Brands. In this role, Mr. Sturgis was responsible for all US franchise sales
activities for Carvel Ice Cream and Cinnabon. Mr. Sturgis is a frequent speaker at and contributor to
franchise industry events and publications; is a past Board Member of both the IFA Supplier Forum and
the New England Franchise Association.
Shelly Sun, CFE
Shelly Sun is the CEO and co-founder of BrightStar Care®, a premium healthcare staffing company
providing the full continuum of care, from homecare to supplemental staffing for corporate clients such as
nursing homes and physicians. At BrightStar’s inception, Ms. Sun, along with her husband and cofounder JD Sun, risked everything to pioneer a company offering more to those in need. In 2005,
BrightStar launched its franchising efforts, becoming the first and only franchising company in the country
to specialize in both medical and non-medical care and health care staffing. BrightStar Care has grown to
over 250 locations nationwide serving over 15,000 families and employing over 15,000 care providers
with nearly $300 million in system-wide revenue. Today, in addition to leading the strategy for the
BrightStar Care®, BrightStar Senior Living & Memory Care, and BrightStar® Technology Group divisions,
Ms. Sun is charting the vision for complementary brands and services to help consumers care for their
families and homes.
Jamie Sutherland
Jamie Sutherland is the U.S. President for Xero and brings over a decade of small business and
accounting experience and a seasoned perspective on the financial and technological challenges facing
startups, small businesses and accounting professionals. Three years ago, Mr. Sutherland started the US
operations for Xero — driving 200%+ growth while scaling the team to over 150 employees across 5
locations. At the same time, Mr. Sutherland launched many of Xero’s tier 1 partnerships including Google,
Square, H&R Block and ADP. Before joining Xero, Mr. Sutherland ran the North American business unit
of accounting software provider Sage, where he grew the business to 500,000 small business customers.
Starting and growing businesses is core to Mr. Sutherland’s DNA. In fact, he co-founded a taxi-hailing
application called TaxiNow that was subsequently sold to FastCab. Leveraging his entrepreneurial
experience and passion for startups, he serves as the board director at the Small Business Web and
regularly mentors startups through 500 Startups, the C100 and the McGill Mentorship Program.
Jeffrey Tews
Jeffery Tews is the Owner of BrightStar Healthcare of Madison, Wisc. He has previous experience as a
corporate executive in customer service at US West, Qwest and US Bank. Mr. Tews has been a multi-unit
franchisee with BrightStar for six years and Mr. Handyman for two years. At BrightStar, Mr. Tews has
been named a two-time Franchisee of the Year.
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John Teza CFE
John Teza joined Jersey Mike’s Subs as Chief Development Officer in May 2011 and oversees a
deliberate growth strategy designed to accelerate the expansion of the brand while maintaining a qualityfirst approach. Since then, Jersey Mike's, known for its authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, has
opened more than 400 new restaurants throughout the country, nearly doubling in size. In addition, the
company awarded more than 250 new territories, partnering with multi-brand, multi-unit franchisees as
well as provided expansion opportunities to existing franchise owners. Started in 1956, Jersey Mike’s now
has 1,300 restaurants open and under development nationwide, and has a long history of community
involvement and support.
Therese Thilgen
Therese Thilgen is Co-Founder and CEO of Franchise Update Media Group (FUMG), an organization she
launched with her husband, Gary Gardner, in 1988. Franchise Update Media Group is the leading
integrated content provider in the franchise arena, helping franchisors and franchisees leverage strengths
and opportunities in the high growth and dynamic franchise marketplace. She is responsible for
content development across all media channels including print (Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine,
Franchise Update Magazine, Special Reports and Research), conferences (Franchise Leadership &
Development, Multi-Unit Franchising and Franchise Consumer Marketing conferences) and multiple
online properties. Ms. Thilgen has more than three decades of experience in the franchise arena. Prior to
Franchise Update Media Group, she served as Vice President of Franchise Development for a
national franchise chain for seven years where she was responsible for franchise sales, real estate and
franchise administration. She and her husband were also franchisees of an executive search
organization. Prior to that she worked for the Swiss cooperative, Migros, in Lugano, Italy. Over the
years, she has been a guest speaker at many franchise industry events as a franchise authority including
radio and TV interviews (CNBC) and has also been published in Wall Street Journal and
Entrepreneur Magazine.
Mary Kennedy Thompson, CFE
Mary Kennedy Thompson is the Executive Vice President of the Dwyer Group. Ms. Thompson, a former
Marine officer, has served as president of Mr. Rooter LLC since 2006 with more than 400 units worldwide.
In 2014 she was promoted to Executive Vice President of The Dwyer Group, her parent company. Having
been in franchising for more than 20 years, her previous experience includes being a multi-unit franchisee
for Cookies by Design before being recruited to its home office where she filled positions of field
consultant, executive director of operations, and president. In addition to her role with Mr. Rooter
Corporation, she is past chairman of the IFA’s VetFran Committee and is a past Bonnie Levine awardee.
Marla Topliff
Marla Topliff has been the President of Rosati’s Pizza since 1999. She also serves as the corporate
media spokesperson, manages vendor and store relationships and human resources. She is Chairman of
the National Restaurant Association’s Pizzeria Council and a member of the International Franchise
Association, where she serves on the membership committee. Ms. Topliff was recently listed in Franchise
Update as one of the Top 24 Leading Women in Franchising for 2014 and has been featured in numerous
publications like Entrepreneur Magazine, The Suit Magazine, and Chain Pulse Magazine. She has also
been featured in numerous digital publications. She was also the 2012 keynote speaker at the
International Pizza Expo. Since becoming president, she has lead Rosati’s Pizza to become included
in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500, Top 100 Pizza Companies by Pizza Today and in the Top
300 Franchise System by Franchise Times.
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Dawn Uremovich
Dawn Uremovich was appointed President of Shoppe Company in Minneapolis on March 1, 2009. Prior to
this Ms. Uremovich was the Vice President of Shoppe Company in Minneapolis effective October 1, 2007
until March 1, 2009. Preceding this Ms. Uremovich was the General Manager, in Minneapolis, effective
June 4, 2004 until October 1, 2007. Between February 2001 and June 2004, Ms. Uremovich was Director
of Operations and Training, in Minneapolis. From June 2000 to February 2001 Ms. Uremovich was
Director of Training and Construction in Minneapolis. From July 1998 to June 2000 Ms. Uremovich was
Manager of Training and Construction in Minneapolis. Prior to her time with Häagen Dazs, she was
Director of Operations at Einstein Brothers Bagels and Vice President of Operations at Leeann Chin. She
is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
Kenneth Walker, CFE
Kenneth D. Walker, CFE, is chairman and CEO of Driven Brands, Inc., the holding company,
which is the parent company of Meineke Car Care Centers, Inc., Maaco Franchising, Inc.,
Econo Lube and Tune, Inc., Aero-Colours, Inc., AutoQual USA, Drive N’ Style and Tortal.net.
Mr. Walker along with a group of investors, including much of the management team, created
Driven Brands as a holding company and back office support vehicle to acquire and manage
non-competitive automotive franchise brands. Mr. Walker joined Meineke as president and CEO in
1996 after serving nearly four years as president and CEO of Parts, Inc., a distributor of
automotive parts and supplies with distribution facilities and stores covering 24 states. He has
served on the IFA board of directors since 2002 and its Executive Committee since 2007. He is
a member of IFA’s Franchisor Forum, Research Committee and Finance, Audit and Budget
Committee. Over the past five years, he has also served as chairman of the IFA Educational
Foundation (2008), Convention Committee (2009), FranPAC Advisory Committee (2009) and
Nominating Committee Chair (2011). Mr. Walker also served on the IFA Strategic Planning
Working Group, which completed a 2010-2012 strategic plan. Prior to his position with Meineke,
Mr. Walker spent 20 years in similar businesses.
Josh Wall, CFE
Josh Wall is Vice President, Franchise and Strategic Development for Christian Brothers Automotive, one
of America’s fastest growing full service automotive repair franchises with 135 locations in 18 states and
another 35 awarded and in development. He serves as part of the company’s core leadership team
where he directs the franchise recruitment efforts and shapes the strategic direction of the brand. Mr.
Wall has been with Christian Brothers for 12 years, where he has also served as the Director of Training
and Marketing team lead. He has a B.S. in Political Science from TCU in Fort Worth, TX and is a
Certified Franchise Executive through the IFA. Mr. Wall lives in Houston, TX with his wife and three
daughters.
Patrick K. Walls, CFE
Patrick Walls has served as President and Chief Operating Officer for Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, Inc., the
franchisor of the 110-unit Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop chain headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada since
2009. From 1996 to 2009, Mr. Walls served in various positions including Chief Franchise Officer and
Chief Development Officer with McAlister’s Corporation, the franchisor of the McAlister’s Deli restaurant
chain headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Mr. Walls holds a B.A. in Political Science from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a J.D. from the Southern Illinois University School of Law.
Licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and Mississippi and before the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Mississippi, the United States District Court for the Southern District of
Mississippi and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Mr. Walls was admitted to the bar
of the United States Supreme Court in April 2001.
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Charles Watson
Charles Watson has been Vice President of Franchise Development for Tropical Smoothie Café (TSC)
since January 2010. Mr. Watson is responsible for all aspects of franchise development. Under his
leadership, the TSC system has grown from 265 open units to over 400 open units. A veteran hospitality
professional, Mr. Watson has worked for several hospitality-related companies including Wyndham Hotels
& Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), US Franchise Systems, Inc. and Hospitality Real Estate
Counselors (HREC). Mr. Watson began his career as Director of Franchise Development for US
Franchise Systems, Inc. developing the Microtel Inns, Hawthorn Suites and America’s Best Inn’s hotel
brands. As a Vice President for US Franchise Systems / Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Mr. Watson was
responsible for all re-licensing activities, lead generation and sales management strategy. In his time with
IHG, Mr. Watson held positions of increasing responsibility in the strategic services and global sales
groups where he assisted in various strategic projects such as franchisee e-commerce integration, brand
compliance, and the launch of a global automated RFP management system. Mr. Watson also spent time
as a hotel real estate broker with Hospitality Real Estate Counselors as a senior manager of hotel
brokerage operations in the southeast. Mr. Watson is a graduate of The Hotel School at Cornell
University (BS) and also holds a Masters of Business administration (MBA) from The Terry School of
Business at The University of Georgia. Mr. Watson lives in Atlanta with his wife and son.
Barbara Williams
Barbara Williams is Vice President of performance analysis for the Oklahoma City-based national
headquarters of SONIC®, America’s Drive-In®. Named to her current position in 2009, Ms. Williams is
responsible for driving business performance through the use of internal analysis and customer
satisfaction data. She oversees the group responsible for reporting and analyzing key performance
metrics, consumer trends and business intelligence data. Ms. Williams has been with SONIC since 1998
in various positions, including senior director, performance analysis and director, marketing
analysis. Prior to joining SONIC, Ms. Williams worked in franchise and development at Hardee’s Food
Systems for 10 years. Ms. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree of Science in Business Administration and
asters of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Ms. Williams
lives in Noble, Okla., with her husband, Tim and their son Brett.
Steven L. Yeffa
Steven Yeffa is the Executive Vice President & CFO of Sky Zone, the global leader in the franchising of
indoor trampoline parks. With 97 parks open in four countries, Sky Zone is ranked #152 on the Inc. 500
fastest growing companies list, one of the top 50 most profitable franchises as ranked by the Franchise
Business Review and one of Forbes most promising companies. Previously, Mr. Yeffa was with Cartridge
World as their CFO, starting in 2005, and was promoted to President of Cartridge World Americas in 2008
where he directed the global financial operations of the 1,600 store franchise operation. He has over 30
years of senior financial management leadership in franchising, financial services and asset management
technologies.
Philip Zeidman
Philip Zeidman is Senior Partner with DLA Piper’s Franchise and Distribution practice in Washington,
D.C. He has served as General Counsel of the International Franchise Association virtually throughout
his career. Mr. Zeidman principally devotes his practice to international distribution, licensing and
franchising law. He was named Global Franchise Lawyer of the Year by Who’s Who Legal for nine
consecutive years - every year this award had been made. Mr. Zeidman is also the former Chairman of
the International Bar Association’s International Franchising Committee. Mr. Zeidman received his
undergraduate degree with honors from Yale University and law degree from Harvard University and also
studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He served as a Trial Lawyer for the
Federal Trade Commission, General Counsel to the Small Business Administration and Special Assistant
to the Vice President of the United States. He is counsel to a number of U.S. and foreign companies and
trade associations.
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Jason Zickerman, CFE
Jason Zickerman is the President and CEO of the Alternative Board and drives the strategic vision and
continued expansion of The Alternative Board’s (TAB) international business advisory network, spanning
more than 900 cities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Venezuela. Mr.
Zickerman’s innate ability to counsel and reshape businesses to positions of market leadership has
enabled him to drive TAB’s landmark success, growing TAB to become one of the world’s largest forprofit peer board and coaching services franchise organization serving business owners and industry
visionaries alike. Mr. Zickerman is an internationally known business development and growth advisor
who maintains an exceptional knowledge and passion for business, combined with strategic counsel and
astuteness that fuels the success of the organizations he speaks with. His expert counsel is consistently
recognized throughout the business world’s most influential media, including: Business Week, CNN, CFO,
Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail, Investor’s Business Daily, MSNBC, The Associated
Press, Smart Money, and Reuters. Mr. Zickerman has also made multiple appearances on Fox Business
News due to the real-world value and timeliness of his counsel and his position as an authority on issues
faced by small- to medium-sized businesses.
Carl Zwisler
Carl Zwisler is a principal in Gray Plant Mooty's Franchise & Distribution practice group and focuses his
practice on representing franchisors, manufacturers and investors in structuring, negotiating, and
enforcing international franchise, licensing, distribution, and acquisition agreements. He is a former IFA
General Counsel. With more than 35 years’ experience, Mr. Zwisler has worked with clients in every
phase of international franchising, licensing, and distribution programs, frequently advising companies
entering the U.S. market and U.S. companies expanding abroad. He is the author of the Commerce
Clearing House publication: Master Franchising: Selecting, Negotiating and Operating a Master
Franchise and chaired International Franchise Expo Symposia on international master franchising for 15
years.
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