GO BOOK - FranConnect

May 18-20, 2016
Gaylord National Resort
and Convention Center
National Harbor, MD
GO
BOOK
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
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DIAMOND
PLATINUM
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Welcome
Dear FranConnection’16 Guests,
On behalf of our esteemed speakers, our sponsors, and the FranConnect team, we would like to personally
welcome you to FranConnection’16!
This year’s event occurs at a time that is both exciting and challenging for franchising. Our industry growth
rate continues to outpace that of the general economy driving demand for existing franchisors and new
concepts. This speed of change can often be accompanied by unforeseen challenges and resistance from all
that are affected. Now, more than ever, collaboration is a critical component of our collective success. We
hope this year’s FranConnection provides a robust forum for the free flow of ideas and information as we
tackle these important subjects.
We are honored and excited to have such highly regarded keynote speakers and panelists join us for this
year’s event. It’s amazing how many pioneers and innovators there are in franchising and we are lucky to have
attracted the best and brightest to FranConnection’16. In addition to the keynotes and panel discussions, you
will have an opportunity to engage in lively debate and explore your FranConnect system at the following
sessions:
• Educational tracks for development, operations, and marketing leaders that go beyond typical
discussions. During these sessions, we will strive to identify tactics for closing the gap between what
we know and what we do.
• FranConnect product experts will be available in an “Ask the Experts” area – dig into the product, share
your insights, and find out something new about FranConnect’s products (both new and existing).
ENGAGE
• And, we have some fun time planned as well! This is where we connect in ways that cannot be done via
web meetings or telephone. Please join us for fun and laughter at both Grace’s Mandarin on Wednesday
night and Bobby McKey’s, for dinner and entertainment, on Thursday night.
While you read through the content in this program, please begin to capture the objectives you have for
being here and how we can help you achieve them. Together we have the knowledge, experience, and
perseverance to reach new heights. Thank you for joining us for FranConnection’16.
Warm Regards,
Christopher Fountain
Keith Gerson, CFE
Chief Executive Officer, FranConnect
President and Chief Client Advocate, FranConnect
FranConnection'16 Conference Chair
3
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE
TUESDAY MAY 17, 2016
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
REGISTRATION
Pienza
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
WELCOME RECEPTION
Pienza
WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016
ALL DAY
Ask the Experts
National Harbor 1
8:00 AM - NOON
Registration
National Harbor Pre-Function
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Breakfast
National Harbor Pre-Function
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
General Session
:: CEO Welcome: Christopher Fountain
FranConnect
National Harbor 2 & 3
:: Keynote: Aziz Hashim
Chairman of the IFA and Managing Partner
of NRD Capital Managment, LLC
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
BREAK
National Harbor Pre-Function
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
General Session
:: Undercover Boss Panel
National Harbor 2 & 3
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM
LUNCH
Old Hickory
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Marketing Session 1: TITLE Boxing Club
Digital Marketing Case Study
Camellia 3-4
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Operations Session 1: Advancing Your Franchise
System Through Innovation In Operations
National Harbor 2
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Development Session 1: Closing the Franchise
Sales "Knowing & Doing Gap"
National Harbor 3
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
BREAK
National Harbor Pre-Function
3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Marketing Session 2: Digital Marketing:
Optimization Guide & Managing On A Budget
Camellia 3-4
3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Operations Session 2: Tools and Techniques
for Achieving Unit and System Growth
National Harbor 2
3:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Development Session 2: Creating a Killer
Sales Process and Leveraging It Through Your
FranConnect Franchise Sales System Tools
National Harbor 3
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Dinner and Shenanigans
Grace’s Mandarin
LEAD
4
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE
THURSDAY MAY 19, 2016
ALL DAY
Ask the Experts
National Harbor 1
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Breakfast
National Harbor Pre-Function
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM General Session
:: Keynote: Bryon Stephens
President and COO of Marco’s Pizza
National Harbor 2 & 3
10:30 AM- 10:45 AM BREAK
National Harbor Pre-Function
10:45 AM- 11:45 AM
GENERAL SESSION :: Private Equity Panel of the Pros
National Harbor 2 & 3
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
IFA State of Franchising :: Robert Cresanti
President and CEO, IFA
National Harbor 2 & 3
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM
LUNCH & NETWORKING
Old Hickory
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Roundtable 1: Optimize Your Organizational
Structure for Improved Franchise Sales
National Harbor 2
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Roundtable 2: Business Intelligence Has Come
of Age in Franchising, Get the Basics Here
National Harbor 14
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Roundtable 3: Unit Level Economics,
Sharing Best Practices
National Harbor 9
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Roundtable 4: Marketing; Improving
Engagement and Adoption
National Harbor 15
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Roundtable 5: Best Practices in Field Support
National Harbor 3
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
BREAK
National Harbor Pre-Function
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Dinner and Shenanigans
Bobby McKey's
FRIDAY MAY 20, 2016
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Breakfast
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM General Session
:: Keynote: Evan Hackel
Founder and Principal of Ingage Consulting
10:00 AM- 12:00 PM
IDEAS Summit National Harbor Pre-Function
National Harbor 2 & 3
National Harbor 2 & 3
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HOTEL MAPS
Look for Directional Signage
Throughout Venue
KEY
NATIONAL HARBOR CONFERENCE ROOMS
BALLROOM LEVEL
LOBBY LEVEL
LOWER ATRIUM
ELV
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Restrooms
Stairs
Registration Desks
Elevator
Escalator
Coat Check
National Harbor Conference Rooms
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Maryland
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Pre-function
FREIGHT
ELV
Potomac
Ballroom Ceiling
1
ELV
Ballroom Level
Lobby
Level
Service Areas
Everyone
has a story.
We tell the
perfect one.
1851 is the franchise industry’s most
innovative content marketing solution.
Brands are given a personalized
publication that allows them to celebrate
their great news and distribute it to the
perfect target audience.
Ready to tell your story?
1851franchise.com
312.526.3996
INNOVATE
info@1851franchise.com
WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016
ALL
DAY
Ask the Experts
8:00 AM - Breakfast
9:00 AM
National Harbor Pre-Function
9:00 AM - General Session
11:00 AM
CEO Welcome
Keynote: The Innovation Imperative: Changing the Narrative
of Franchising
Aziz Hashim
Chairman of the IFA and Managing Partner of NRD Capital
Management, LLC
National Harbor 2 & 3
11:00 AM - Break
11:15 AM
National Harbor Pre-Function
11:15 AM 12:30 PM
National Harbor 2 & 3
General Session Panel
Be Your Own Undercover Boss: Learn from the Pros
Panelists: Shawnon Bellah, COO, Nestle Toll House Cafe
Nader Masadeh, President & CEO, Buffalo Wings & Rings
Bryon Stephens, COO and President, Marco’s Pizza
Nick Powills, CFE, Chief Brand Strategist, 1851 Franchise
12:30 PM - Lunch and Networking
1:45 PM
1:45 PM 3:00 PM
Old Hickory
Discussion and Hands-On Workshop
Sessions With Your Peers From the Industry
Marketing Session 1: TITLE Boxing Club
Digital Marketing Case Study
Camellia 3 - 4
Operations Session 1: Advancing Your Franchise System
Through Innovation In Operations
National Harbor 2
Development Session 1: Closing the Franchise Sales
“Knowing & Doing Gap”
National Harbor 3
3:00 PM 3:15 PM
Break
National Harbor Pre-Function
3:15 PM 4:30 PM
Discussion and Hands-On Workshop
Sessions With Your Peers From the Industry
6:30 PM 10:00 PM
8
National Harbor 1
ACTION
Marketing Session 2: Digital Marketing: Optimization Guide
& Managing On A Budget
Camellia 3 - 4
Operations Session 2: Tools and Techniques for Achieving
Unit and Sales Growth
National Harbor 2
Development Session 2: Creating a Killer Sales Process and
Leveraging It Through Your FranConnect Franchise Sales
System Tools
National Harbor 3
Dinner and Shenanigans
Grace's Mandarin
KEYNOTE
AZIZ HASHIM
Chairman of the IFA and Managing Partner of NRD Capital Management, LLC
Recognized as one of franchising’s most powerful leaders, Aziz Hashim sets the standard for
franchise leadership and development. His inspiring story of discipline and perseverance will be
one to remember – and one to replicate in your business.
GROW
GO PLAN
GO
Action Item/Goal
Who
By When?
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
9
BE YOUR OWN UNDERCOVER BOSS:
LEARN FROM THE PROS
SHAWNON BELLAH, COO, NESTLE TOLL HOUSE CAFÉ
NADER MASADEH, PRESIDENT & CEO, BUFFALO WINGS & RINGS
BRYON STEPHENS, PRESIDENT & COO, MARCO'S PIZZA
NICK POWILLS, CFE, CHIEF BRAND STRATEGIST, 1851 FRANCHISE
The wildly popular show “Undercover Boss” has become a cultural phenomenon. Founders, CEOs
and leading executives from some of North America’s most recognized brands have gone under a
“transformation” – changing their looks and personas to discover the truth about what is going on
within their organizations. Our panel is made up of several “stars” of Undercover Boss along with
one of the industry’s most recognized public relations executives who has worked closely with the
executives of the show, all who have a very important vantage point to share.
While only a few of us will have the opportunity to appear on Undercover Boss, many of us can
learn from their experiences. Our expert panelists will share their insights on how to create an
Undercover Boss transformation without being under the spotlight and control of the producers
and editors.
Learn from our experts:
•The original objectives for agreeing to go on the show and success metrics achieved
•Lessons learned and how the Undercover Boss experience changed the panelists – personally
and professionally
•How to create a “listening post” for tapping into the insights and recommendations of employees
•How to create a highly differentiated service culture that transforms the very definition of what
a brand is
INSIGHT
10
UNDERCOVER BOSS PANEL NOTES
GO PLAN
Action Item/Goal
Who
By When?
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
INSPIRE
11
SESSION 1 DESCRIPTIONS
Marketing Session 1
TITLE Boxing Club Digital Marketing Case Study
The purpose of this session is to help franchisors – CEO/Presidents, Marketing teams, Development
teams – understand the importance of how your digital presence impacts your brand and efforts
across the ecosystem. Your digital footprint is becoming (and often already has become) the main
representation of your company. However, the lack of consistency with other corporate efforts
including adherence to a clear message or branding guidelines can often confuse your audience,
and worse, negatively impact your brand’s image.
During this session we will review:
•How to understand the hard and soft benefits of a digital footprint
•How to develop consistency throughout your franchise ecosystem
•How to get the most bang for your buck with regard to social channels and message
•How to measure and what to measure
Operations Session 1
Advancing Your Franchise System Through Innovation In Operations
•Effectively managing resources around franchisee evaluation and support
•Current and future state of compliance and process information gathering
(frequency and depth of data, trend analysis)
•Actionable intelligence – closing the loop on improving your system
•Collaborating with your franchisees for win-win outcomes
• Advancing your franchise system through innovation in operations
Development Session 1
Closing the Franchise Sales “Knowing & Doing Gap”
The sad truth is that there are no silver bullets when it comes to improving closing effectiveness
in Franchise Sales. Each year, the results from mystery shopper programs of franchise sales
departments bear-out the same abysmal results. Whether it’s failure to return phone calls,
inability to correctly qualify candidates, poor overall response rates, slow or inconsistent followup, etc. most franchisors are not alone. We all know better, and yet execution continues to be the
underlying issue. Our expert panelists have cracked the code and are prepared to share where,
what and how they are doing to ensure that each and every candidate is handled in a way that
increases their closing effectiveness rates. If you’re ready to close the gap between what your
organization knows, and what it does then this is the session for you.
•Learn the top 8 sales management tips that can increase the number of deals you close
each year by <20%
•Learn how to use technology to turn your weakest performers into sales machines
•The 5 most critical metrics for predicting and ensuring success
SUCCESS
12
SESSION 1 NOTES
MARKETING/OPERATIONS/DEVELOPMENT
GO PLAN
Action Item/Goal
DEVELOP
Who
By When?
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
13
SESSION 2 DESCRIPTIONS
Marketing Session 2
Optimization Guide & Managing On A Budget
In session 1, we will review a detailed digital and social audit of TITLE Boxing Club’s marketing
strategy and tactics. There will be a multitude of lessons learned for every executive and marketer.
This breakout session will be the follow-on discussion of what to do next. Where do you start and
how do you decide what tools are right for you?
Join us for an open dialogue about the challenges and to share what works for you. You will
receive a detailed workbook that will get you started today, help you filter through the clutter and
create a plan that is manageable for your business.
Operations Session 2
Tools and Techniques for Achieving Unit and System Growth
•Correlating Franchisee Evaluations with Franchisee Performance
• Using Business Intelligence to help grow your system
• The role and realities of shared performance comparisons
• Effective performance goal-setting and benchmarking
Development Session 2
Creating a Killer Sales Process and Leveraging It Through Your FranConnect Franchise Sales
System Tools
In this session, proven franchise sales experts will create a learning environment for those that are
looking to improve both their sales processes and their sales capability.
Attendees will learn how to map a killer sales process and align it with the features of their
FranConnect Sales Management module for maximum benefit.
LEVERAGE
14
SESSION 2 NOTES
MARKETING/OPERATIONS/DEVELOPMENT
GO PLAN
Action Item/Goal
Who
By When?
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
GOAL PLAN
15
THURSDAY MAY 19, 2016
ALL
DAY
Ask the Experts
National Harbor 1
8:00 AM - Breakfast
9:00 AM
National Harbor Pre-Function
9:00 AM - General Session
10:30 AM Keynote: Creating a Culture of Accountability
Bryon Stephens
President and COO of Marco's Pizza
National Harbor 2 & 3
10:30 AM - Break
10:45 AM
National Harbor Pre-Function
10:45 AM - General Session Panel
11:45 AM
Private Equity Panel of the Pros
Panelists:
Gay Burke, Chairman, Alphagraphics & Working Partner of
Black Street Capital
Jeremy Holland, Principal, The Riverside Company
Michael Skitzki, CFE, COO, Franworth
Kevin Wilson, CEO, Mosquito Joe
Christopher Fountain, CEO, FranConnect
National Harbor 2 & 3
11:45 AM - IFA State of Franchising
12:15 PM
Robert Cresanti
President and CEO, IFA
National Harbor 2 & 3
12:15 PM 1:30 PM
Lunch and Networking
1:30 PM 4:30 PM
Roundtable Sessions
Old Hickory
Roundtable 1: Optimize Your Organizational Structure
for Improved Franchise Sales
National Harbor 2
Roundtable 2: Business Intelligence has Come of Age
in Franchising, Get the Basics Here
National Harbor 14
Roundtable 3: Unit Level Economics, Sharing Best Practices
National Harbor 9
Roundtable 4: Marketing: Improving Engagement & Adoption
National Harbor 15
Roundtable 5: Best Practices in Field Support
National Harbor 3
3:00 PM 3:15 PM
Break
National Harbor Pre-Function
6:30 PM 10:00 PM
Dinner and Shenanigans
Bobby McKey's
CONNECT
16
KEYNOTE
BRYON STEPHENS
COO and President of Marco’s Pizza
Bryon is going to share with you how Marco’s Pizza has adopted and executed a thorough and
rigorous approach to culture and accountability. By embracing the Oz Principle techniques and
making a long term corporate commitment to its employees and community of franchisees,
Marco’s has become the fastest growing pizza chain in the US, having just opened its 700th
location and will quadruple in size over the next 5 years.
CULTURE
GO PLAN
Action Item/Goal
Who
By When?
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
17
PRIVATE EQUITY
PANEL OF THE PROS
GAY BURKE, CHAIRMAN, ALPHAGRAPHICS & WORKING PARTNER OF BLACK STREET CAPITAL
JEREMY HOLLAND, PRINCIPAL, THE RIVERSIDE COMPANY
MICHAEL SKITZKI, CFE, COO, FRANWORTH
KEVIN WILSON, CEO, MOSQUITO JOE
CHRISTOPHER FOUNTAIN, CEO, FRANCONNECT
Navigating the Private Equity world can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned executives.
In this session, we have assembled people from industry that live in the world day in, day out.
We will ask our panelists these and all your most pressing questions:
•Is the overall perception that Private Equity firms have a reputation for dramatically increasing
the value of their investments deserved?
•If so, what are a few of the primary strategies that PE’s apply that result in dramatic changes in
the trajectory of the business post acquisition?
•How does the private equity sponsor typically interact with the business?
•What are 3-6 things that PE investors look for in CEO’s?
INTERACT
18
PRIVATE EQUITY PANEL NOTES
ACTION
GO PLAN
Action Item/Goal
Who
By When?
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
19
ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS
Don’t miss these interactive, idea generation sessions that will leave you with a guide and plan for enhancing
your development, operations, digital marketing, and engagement programs!
1. Optimize Your Organizational Structure for Improved Franchise Sales
2. Business Intelligence Has Come of Age in Franchising, Get the Basics Here
3. Unit Level Economics, Sharing Best Practices
4.Marketing: Improving Engagement and Adoption
5. Best Practices in Field Support
FOCUS
20
ROUNDTABLE 1 NOTES
GO
Optimize Your Organizational Structure for Improved Franchise Sales
21
ROUNDTABLE 2 NOTES
22
IDEATE
Business Intelligence Has Come of Age in Franchising, Get the Basics Here
ROUNDTABLE 3 NOTES
Unit Level Economics Sharing Best Practices
SOLUTIONS
23
ROUNDTABLE 4 NOTES
Marketing: Improving Engagement and Adoption
LEARN
24
ROUNDTABLE 5 NOTES
SUPPORT
Best Practices in Field Support
25
FRIDAY MAY 20, 2016
8:00AM 9:00 AM
Breakfast
National Harbor Pre-Function
9:00AM 10:00 AM
Keynote Speaker: The Art of Communication - It's Time
to Break the Mold
Evan Hackel
Founder and Principal, Ingage Consulting
The Art of Communication - It's Time to Break the Mold
National Harbor 2 & 3
10:00AM - The IDEAS Summit
12:00 PM
National Harbor 2 & 3
PERSPECTIVE
Conventional wisdom tells us, “It’s just business—it’s not personal.”
We help businesses see things from a different perspective.
Business is personal.
26
KEYNOTE
EVAN HACKEL
Founder and Principal of Ingage Consulting
Communication is the lifeblood of every franchise system. If your message doesn’t get through
to your franchisees and you’re not truly being heard, your business – and theirs – will suffer. We
know that people are bombarded with more and more information than ever today. Facebook,
Twitter, blogs, email, a million websites are stealing the attention of your franchisees. The solution
inevitably seems to be more communication. The problem is, franchisees become overwhelmed
and eventually tune you out. Sending repetitive messages only exacerbates the problem.
It’s time to break the mold. We need to think and act differently about communication. This
keynote will challenge you to think about communication in a new way. Concepts and ideas will be
transformative. Turn one of your biggest headaches into your organization’s number one asset.
GO PLAN
Action Item/Goal
Who
By When?
ACTION
Impact on profit:
Other Benefits:
Does this need an Action Plan?
27
THIS IS ACTIO.
Where meetings and marketing merge.
B2B
MARKETING
EVENT
MANAGEMENT
CREATIVE
STRATEGY
DESIGN
&
PRODUCTION
www.actiomarketing.com
www.actiomarketing.com
404.220.7593
404.220.7593
one west court square  suite 750  atlanta, ga 30030
one west court square  suite 750  atlanta, ga 30030
GO Ahead
GO
Ahead –– elevate
elevate your
your meetings
meetings above
above the
the ordinary.
ordinary.
28
SPEAKER BIO’S
IMPACT
AZIZ HASHIM
Chairman of the International Franchise Association
Managing Partner of NRD Capital Management, LLC
KEYNOTE
Aziz Hashim is the Chairman of the International Franchise Association and Managing Partner of NRD
Capital Management, LLC. NRD Capital is the first franchise business fund sponsored and managed by
a Multi-unit franchisee. NRD Capital is focused on acquiring franchise concepts that offer compelling
unit economics, and represent solid opportunities for franchisees. The fund helps franchisees achieve
the American Dream in the same way franchising helped Aziz rise from an entry level worker in his
youth, to become one of the largest franchisees in America. NRD Capital looks at franchise brands not
just as financial vehicles but as living entities in which concept founders and franchisees have invested
significant amounts of time and resources.
Prior to founding NRD Capital, Hashim, a highly regarded executive in the U.S. and international
franchise space, founded NRD Holdings in 1996 after a decade of working as an entry level employee
at Burger King and rising up to management while completing University. He began his business career
in franchising with one QSR location and grew the company to more than 60 restaurants, including
several high-profile brands: Popeyes®, Domino’s Pizza, and Checkers/Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc®.
Through expert risk identification and management, unique portfolio management strategies and
superior execution, Hashim has become a leading multi-state, multi-brand, multi-national franchisee,
growing to one of the top 200 franchise operators in the U.S. Prior to NRD Holdings, Hashim graduated
as an electrical engineer from the University of California Irvine with honors and landed a prestigious
job at Rockwell Semi-conductor Division in Newport Beach, California.
Aziz is deeply involved in community service and frequently contributes to the industry at large,
sharing his knowledge and experience at major business conferences. His dynamic leadership and
strategy for success is reflected both in his compelling message to the industry and in NRD’s significant
and consistent innovation and growth. In 2014, Aziz and his wife Farah established the Aziz and
Farahnaz Hashim Chair for Franchise Entrepreneurship at Georgia State University. The Aziz and
Farahnaz Hashim Faculty Position in Franchise Entrepreneurship provides the School of Hospitality with
the resources to expand the graduate and undergraduate curriculum to encompass this fast-growing
business model.
BRYON STEPHENS
President & COO, Marco’s Franchising, LLC
In 2014 Bryon Stephens was named President & COO of Marco’s Franchising, LLC. Since starting with
Marco’s Pizza in 2004, Stephens had demonstrated significant success in his leadership roles as Vice
President of Development and Chief Operating Officer, a position he was promoted to in 2013.
KEYNOTE
Stephens, who came to Marco’s with much success developing YUM! Brands, Inc., and Yorkshire
Global Restaurants, was the first person hired by CEO and Chairman of Marco’s Pizza, Jack Butorac
when Butorac bought the franchising rights in 2004. Throughout the past decade, he has helped
grow the number of stores from 123 to over 600, including locations in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.
During Stephens’ tenure, system wide sales have increased by nearly $180 million, unit profitability
has increased, and 1,860 new stores have been signed into the system. As President, Stephens’ focus
is on oversight of day-to-day operations and achieving sales, profitability and growth goals, as well
as maintaining high benchmarks for product quality and customer service.
Stephens is also the Marco’s Culture Champion, having introduced the Partners in Leadership
framework of an Accountability Culture to the entire system. Stephens believes the Culture of the
organization is key to attaining Key Results by operating within a set of seven self-determined (by
franchisees and corporate leaders together) Cultural Beliefs, such as Execute Excellence and Embody
Trust, which guide and focus the company.
29
SPEAKER BIO’S
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
EVAN HACKEL
Founder and Principal, Ingage Consulting
KEYNOTE
Evan Hackel is Founder and Principal of Ingage Consulting, a consulting firm focused on
improving the performance of franchises by creating a culture of partnership and common
purpose between franchisors and franchisees. Put simply: he helps franchises create massive
growth.
Previously Evan launched three franchise systems, turned around a bankrupt franchise
system with system-wide sales of $700 million in four years to a system with $2 billion in
sales. At CCA Global Partners, Evan was responsible for four business divisions with over
$5 billion in sales and operating in four countries. Evan received an MBA from Boston
College and a BA, in Economics, from Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO. Evan resides
in Reading, Massachusetts with his wife, Laura, and three children.
SHAWNON BELLAH
COO, Crest Foods (franchisor of Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip®)
Shawnon Bellah is Chief Operating Officer of Crest Foods, franchisor of the successful Nestlé
Toll House Café by Chip® concept. Shawnon began her career with Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe
before moving to Metromedia Restaurant Group in 2001. She worked in Bennigan’s franchise
operations until 2008 when she was hired as Director of Training and Menu Development
for Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip®. Shawnon served as VP of Operations and SVP of Global
Operations before becoming COO in 2015. She also initiated the opening and growth of the
concept in the Middle East and Canada. She was featured on CBS’ “Undercover Boss” in
December 2015.
SUSAN BORESOW, CFE
President, TITLE Boxing Club
Susan Boresow is the President of TITLE Boxing Club, an explosive trainer-led, total
body boxing and kickboxing fitness franchisee with over 170 locations nationally and
internationally. Prior to joining TITLE Boxing Club in 2015, she was the Chief Marketing
Officer for Massage Envy Spa, where her primary role was overseeing all aspects of the
brand to drive revenue. This included strategy, branding, creative, media, research, digital,
PR, promotions and strategic partnerships, and co-ops. For the past 30 years, she’s
worked for some of the biggest names in franchising: McDonald’s, Sport Clips, Cold Stone
Creamery, Godfather’s Pizza and Fun Brands (parent company of Pump It Up and Bounce
U, entertainment for kids). She’s managed research teams, advertising and PR agencies
and has been instrumental in developing strategic partnerships. Susan received her
bachelor’s degree in advertising/journalism from the University of Kansas and earned her
master’s degree in marketing from Webster University in Kansas City, Missouri.
30
SPEAKER BIO’S
GAY BURKE
Executive Chairman AlphaGraphics
and Operating Partner at Blackstreet Capital Management
Gay Burke has 20 years of experience working with private-equity owned companies. Her roles
have included Operating Partner for a private-equity firm as well as serving as CEO, Chairman, and
Executive Chairman of numerous private equity portfolio companies. She has been involved in sale
transactions from both the selling and buying side. Currently, Gay serves as Chairman or Executive
Chairman of four companies owned directly or indirectly by private equity, including serving as
the Executive Chairman of franchisor, AlphaGraphics, Inc. Gay started her professional career as a
national level private practice attorney where she focused on transactional taxation, business law
and mergers and acquisitions at Holme Roberts & Owen (now Bryan Cave) in Denver Colorado.
Gay received her J.D. with Distinction from the University of Nebraska College of Law and her B.S.
in Interpersonal Communications from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
ROBERT CRESANTI
President & CEO, International Franchise Association
Robert Cresanti serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Franchise
Association. Cresanti joined the IFA as Executive Vice President of Government Relations and Public
Policy from SAP America, Inc., where he served as vice president of Communications & Government
Relations beginning in 2009. In his public service, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2006 as
Under Secretary for Technology for the Department of Commerce. He chaired multiple bilateral
technology trade missions for the U.S. government in the European Union, Asia and Russia and
served as co-chair for the White House President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
(PCAST). In his nearly decade-long service on Capitol Hill, ranging from Legislative Counsel in
the House to Committee Chief of Staff in the Senate, he handled legislation before the Banking,
Judiciary, Commerce, Government Affairs and Finance Committees.
OLIVER EVANCHO
VP Franchise & Development Administration, La Quinta
Oliver Evancho has more than 14 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, joining La Quinta
in August 2003. He has served in a variety of management roles within the hotel management
industry, including General Manager, Director of Revenue Management, Operations Statistical
Analysis, Development & Acquisitions and Brand Pricing.
SEAN FITZGERALD, CFE
Chief Development Strategist, 1851 Franchise
Sean Fitzgerald is the Chief Development Strategist for No Limit Agency and 1851 Franchise and
has 20 years of experience working with startup franchise concepts to large developed franchise
systems and corporations in need of rebranding, giving a unique insight and perspective in
growing, operating and building franchise brands. Fitzgerald is a former Executive Vice President
for BrightStar Care, Senior VP of Quiznos and National Vice President of Franchise Development
for Wireless Zone, a Verizon Wireless retail chain. In 2 years, lead the growth of Wireless Zone from
under 200 locations to over 480 stores. Prior to Wireless Zone, he was COO of a startup women’s
fitness franchise that grew to over 100 franchisees and 250 locations in 3 years and Co-founder
and COO of an automotive accessory retail chain out of Cincinnati, OH, which grew to a national
franchise and eventual IPO trading on the NASDAQ-QTC.
LISTEN
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SPEAKER BIO’S
CHRISTOPHER FOUNTAIN
CEO, FranConnect
Christopher Fountain has an extensive track record of leading and growing privately held
information technology companies in both the United States and the United Kingdom. During
his 25+ year career Chris has successfully led efforts that include raising capital, recruiting
high performance teams, completing successful mergers and acquisitions, actively serving
on corporate boards and serving as a senior executive through the IPO process. In each
leadership position, Chris executes a consistent approach of increasing shareholder value by
driving each company to maintain a customer centric, results-oriented culture that recognizes
the critical role all employees play in a company’s success.
Currently, Chris serves as FranConnect’s Chief Executive Officer and is a member of the
board. FranConnect provides franchise industry specific software to brands that helps them
to optimize the entire franchising lifecycle from development through operations, finance, and
marketing. Chris leads all aspects of operations and strategy for a team 250+ employees who
serve more than 600 brands and their associated 110,000 plus franchisees.
Prior to FranConnect, Chris served as Chief Operating Officer of Kinnser Software, a high
growth SaaS software company where his primary responsibilities were customer and market
facing operations. He led the company’s strategic initiative to increase its addressable market
by expanding into large post-acute healthcare organizations. Chris graduated cum laude from
the University of Michigan with a B.S. degree in Industrial & Operations Engineering.
KEITH GERSON, CFE
President & Chief Client Advocate, FranConnect
Keith Gerson brings 40+ years of executive level franchise expertise in building rapid-growth
franchise organizations able to generate sustainable profits. Recognized in franchising circles
for his extensive leadership experience, and ability to drive execution, Keith has guided
companies to record levels of franchise sales, implementation of best in class systems and
alignment around critical success drivers. Keith has helped lead some of the best known
brands in franchising both in the QSR, home and business services industries including
McDonalds, Jack in the Box Restaurants, ChemDry, PuroClean. Mrs. Fields, and AlphaGraphics.
He also has been a Franchisee.
Keith is passionate about providing leading edge management, solutions-oriented knowledge,
services and has demonstrated his capabilities throughout his extensive career. And now
through FranConnect Franchise Technology Solutions, he is eager to share the best practices
learned from FranConnect’s extensive Business Intelligence data and from helping over 600
franchise brands and 110,000+ franchise units to the next level of franchise success.
GO
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SPEAKER BIO’S
JEREMY HOLLAND
Principal, The Riverside Company
EXECUTE
Jeremy R. Holland is a Principal at The Riverside Company managing origination of new
investment opportunities. Mr. Holland leads deal sourcing activities for the western region of North
America, helping Riverside to be among the world’s most active private equity firms. Mr. Holland
sources deals for Riverside globally with a focus on western North America. He has more than 18
years of private equity experience.
Mr. Holland works across five global fund families, which make control and non-control investments
in companies of all sizes up to $350 million in enterprise value. In addition to his role in origination,
Mr. Holland is the industry sector head for Riverside’s franchising specialization. Before joining
Riverside, Mr. Holland was a principal with Vintage Fund Management. Prior to Vintage Fund
Management, he was a principal with Wedbush Capital and an associate with Buttonwood Capital
Group.
Mr. Holland holds a BS in finance from California State University, Northridge.
NADER MASADEH
President and CEO, Buffalo Wings & Rings
Masadeh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of
Cincinnati before attaining his MBA in International Business and Negotiations from Xavier
University. Born into a family of restauranteurs and owners, he inevitably eased into the business
as a natural fit, working his way up from dishwashing to later help his father run a Buffalo Wings
& Rings location. Becoming heavily engaged with the brand, Masadeh became a part owner of
the brand in 2005 alongside business partners Philip Schram and Haytham David. The three have
spent the past ten years working together to develop a fast-growing, club-level sports restaurant
franchise with more than 65 units globally, offering a chef-inspired menu and the ideal experience
for socializing with friends and family over sports. Today, Masedeh is the President and CEO of
Buffalo Wings & Rings and recently appeared on CBS’s Undercover Boss.
HEATHER MCLEOD, CFE, MBA
Director of Marketing, The Cleaning Authority
Heather McLeod serves as Director of Marketing for The Cleaning Authority. She has bachelor
and master’s degrees from Baylor University and recently earned a CFE certification. In her senior
marketing role with The Cleaning Authority, McLeod is responsible for setting and driving strategic
direction for customer acquisition and revenue generation through online, traditional and social
media channels. She is also responsible for driving lead flow for new franchisee acquisition and
introducing non-broker sales as a viable channel.
33
SPEAKER BIO’S
INNOVATE
NICK MECOZZI
Senior Vice President, Sales Engineering, FranConnect
Nick Mecozzi is the Senior Vice President of Sales Engineering at FranConnect. He brings
over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing and management for companies including
IBM, HP and numerous startup companies in Silicon Valley. Nick’s experience gives him a
balanced knowledge of underlying technology and processes as well as the business benefits
of utilizing strategic platforms and solutions in enterprise and SMB environments. Nick’s prior
role at FranConnect was Vice President of Client Services, where his team managed all of
FranConnect’s existing client relationships and systems. He is a graduate of Duke University
where he earned degrees in Computer Science and Economics.
MIKE METTLER, CFE
Director of National Franchise Sales, International Dairy Queen
Mike is the Director of National Franchise Sales for International Dairy Queen responsible
for recruiting industry leading multi-unit operators to franchise with the Dairy Queen Brand
in the US. Dairy Queen is a 76 year old brand that is growing through the expansion of new
restaurants in major US markets and the conversion of our existing 4,500 domestic stores
into DQ Grill and Chill restaurants that offer high quality food and treat products. Prior to
Dairy Queen, Mike held a similar position at Domino’s Pizza. Before entering the franchising
business with Domino’s Pizza, Mike spent 15 years in the electronics business as President
of two companies, Molded Interconnect Devices, LLC (MID) and a Division of PPC, Inc. He
grew MID from a start-up company to a world leader in cell phone antenna technology with
over $ 25 million in revenue and sold the company to Tyco Electronics in 2001. Mike has an
undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Economics where he also rowed
crew and he has an MBA from the University of Michigan.
BILL MICHAEL
Brand Manager, AdviCoach
Bill Michael has been the Brand Manager, AdviCoach since June 2015 and a Region
Developer with AdviCoach since January 2004. AdviCoach is a Business Coaching Franchise
focused on helping owners of small and medium sized businesses (primarily less than
$20MM) build strong teams, make more money and help the owners free up their time so
they are not chained to the business. Prior to this Michael held various Sales, Marketing,
Strategic Planning and Executive Management roles at Roadway Corp, Case Corp, and GE
from 1986 - 2003. Michael has a BSEE from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from the
University of Chicago.
In his current role he is responsible for leading AdviCoach including training new coaches
and helping them develop and build their own coaching practice. He has worked with 100’s
of coaches in groups and 1-to-1. He is committed to the success of franchisees and, based
on this, has won the Region Developer of the Year award in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 along
with numerous other awards.
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SPEAKER BIO’S
TRACEY MOON
Vice President of Marketing, FranConnect
As FranConnect’s Vice President, Marketing, Tracey is responsible for the strategic planning and
execution of the company’s marketing, branding, and customer outreach programs. Tracey has
an entrepreneurial spirit and high energy approach that has have resulted in her becoming an
accomplished senior global marketer with a history of positive organizational impact. Prior to
joining FranConnect, Tracey held leadership roles at global organizations such as Cognizant,
Brillio, and GANTECH, where she led strategy planning and execution, product positioning and
launch management. Her experience also includes leading integrated marketing communications,
advertising and promotional campaigns designed to reach business customers around the world.
Tracey received her Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
and has a Business undergraduate degree from Salisbury University. In addition to her general
management MBA courses, Tracey studied Business Strategies in Asia and Contemporary Chinese
Politics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She also led a team of MBA
students on a trip to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar in March of 2009 to study the driving forces
behind consumer behavior and increased spending in the United Arab Emirates and surrounding
regions.
Tracey is active in her community having served on several non-profit boards including Big
Brothers/Big Sisters, Frederick Chapter; The Hampden Family Center in Baltimore; Co-Chair
of Washington DC Relay for Life; and Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Currently, Tracey serves as a Compass Consultant leading the development of strategic alignment
plans for clients.
SCOTT OAKS
Vice President of Franchise Development, BrightStar Care
Scott Oaks is the Vice President of Franchise Development for BrightStar Care. His 13 years of
franchise development experience in service, retail, and the food franchise sectors have helped him
develop best practices that can apply to all brands. He currently oversees the domestic expansion
for BrightStar Care, a premium in-home healthcare franchise brand, as well as having direct sales
responsibilities. He was recently pick as one of the “25 Young Ones To Watch” by 1851 Franchise.
IVAN OLMEDO
Director of IT, Philly Soft Pretzel Factory
Ivan Olmedo has over 20 years of experience in the Franchising. He started his career with Rita’s
Water Ice in the late 1990’s, where he helped develop their accounting infrastructure. He automated
their sales reporting system and royalty collection system. He also implemented Rita’s 1st intranet
system Webrizon (the predecessor to FranConnect). During the last eight years, he is part of the
Philly Pretzel Factory (Soft Pretzel Franchise Systems, Inc.) as the IT Director & Controller. During
this time, he has developed their accounting infrastructure and automated all reporting processes.
These innovations allow both the Franchisee & Franchisor the ability to have real time data at their
fingertips. Using FranConnect as our central data center allows us to gather and analyze how our
stores are trending and help make better decisions.
LEAD
35
SPEAKER BIO’S
ANGELA ZERDA PAULES
Vice President of Marketing, Mosquito Joe
Angela Zerda Paules is the Vice President of Marketing for Buzz Franchise Brands, franchisor
of fast-growing mosquito control company Mosquito Joe and newly launched pool service
franchise, Pool Scouts. Her responsibilities cover new brand development, corporate marketing
and branding, franchise development marketing and marketing support for franchise partners.
Prior to her entry into the franchise industry, Angela worked for the University of Texas at
Austin’s top-ranked McCombs School of Business, well-known Austin advertising agency GSD&M,
and exercised her entrepreneurial side running a successful coffee shop business. She is a proud
graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the proud mother of a German Shepherd dog
named Chevy.
NICK POWILLS, CFE
Chief Brand Strategist, 1851 Franchise
Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency and its sister company 1851 Franchise in 2008
and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. Prior to starting No Limit at
the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the
art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media
placements. Prior to jumping into PR, Powills worked as a writer at the Northwest Herald, a daily
newspaper in Chicago; started Lumino, an online music magazine; and had internships at Rolling
Stone and Details Magazine. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
MICHAEL SKITZKI, CFE
COO, Franworth
Michael serves as the Chief Operating Officer of TITLE Boxing Club International. He was recruited
as Vice President of the brand in 2012; Michael designed and implemented franchise systems
and infrastructure helping to achieve a three year growth rate of 1,774%. This earned the brand
recognition by Inc. Magazine as the fastest growing franchise in America in 2015.
He has spent nearly 15 years 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 worked with John Rotche to form the
Belfor Franchise Group, parent company to DUCTZ and HOODZ, and served as its Vice President
beginning in 2010. With his systemization, DUCTZ and HOODZ each grew into the largest in their
industry within three years.
His areas of expertise span franchise development, operations and administration. Michael
has worked with both unit franchise and area representative models. He has overseen initial
international development in Canada and Mexico with multiple concepts.
In 2013 he was honored by Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40 awards which recognizes the
best and brightest who have made their marks in business before age 40. Skitzki volunteers as a
mentor with the International Franchise Association and University of Michigan athletics.
COMMIT
36
TRANSFORM
SPEAKER BIO’S
KEVIN WILSON
CEO, Mosquito Joe
Kevin is the CEO of Mosquito Joe, a franchisor of outdoor pest control services. In his three year
tenure, Kevin has grown the company from one unit to 160 locations in 26 states with a further 70
territories under development. As the Head Joe, Kevin oversees the business and works to drive the
company's franchisee-centric support system.
Kevin hails from the great white north where the mosquito season was short but very intense. Armed
with a degree from the University of Western Ontario, he began his career in consulting with Bain and
Company. While in Texas a mild bagel addiction drove him to found Benny’s Bagels and franchised
bagel stores in the state. His next move was to Johannesburg, South Africa working for South African
Airways overseeing all the maintenance operations of the airline. Upon returning to Virginia Beach in
2001, Kevin joined Discovery Americas, a private equity fund based in Mexico City, Mexico. Drawing
from his experience in the airline industry, Kevin co-founded Volaris, an ultra-low cost airline and the
second largest airline in Mexico. Wanting to be closer to home, he became a partner with Envest
Ventures and oversaw $160M across three funds. After meeting the founders of Mosquito Joe, he
was sold on the need for the services and the opportunity for franchisees and was excited to build a
great and lasting company. In the spring of 2016, Kevin and his team launched their second franchise
concept, Pool Scouts, a business dedicated to cleaning and maintaining residential pools. While
mosquitoes’ appetite for him could be described as average, he prefers to spend his outdoor time
mosquito-free with his wife, drinking wine or attending their three kids’ sporting activities.
ROBERT STIDHAM
President, Franchise Dynamics
Robert Stidham is President of Franchise Dynamics, a full-service franchise sales outsourcing and
consulting firm based in Chicago. They currently represent a variety of emerging to large sized
franchisors in virtually every category of business throughout the United States and Canada.
Robert is an accomplished franchise sales and business development executive with 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 is active in the International
Franchise Association (IFA), having received his CFE and is serving as a member of the International
Committee and Research Committee after having served as a member of the IFA Membership
Committee. He has personally been involved with over 2,000 franchised business start-ups, multi-unit
and area development agreements in 45 countries across a variety of franchise categories.
Robert is a graduate of DePaul University, and has completed graduate studies at Loyola University
Chicago. A frequent speaker on the topic of franchising he has also recently written or been interviewed
on various franchise topics for Entrepreneur, Franchise Times, Franchise Update, Franchise World,
SUCCESS and Vetreprenuer Magazines.
DAVID WURST
Co-Founder and Senior Director, Social Audit
David is the Co-Founder and Senior Director at Social Audit. Founded in 2015, Social Audit measures,
evaluates, interprets, optimizes and improves the digital footprint of an organization’s social media
and digital marketing performance.
Prior to Social Audit, David was Senior Director of Social Media and Digital Marketing at Trier and
Company, one of Silicon Valley’s top communications agencies servicing global technology clients.
With deep experience in digital and social media marketing, he developed a specialty in integrated
program development which resulted in successful executions spanning multiple channels of
engagement. David helped clients to effectively leverage social and digital technologies to meet their
business objectives.
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ABOUT OUR SPONSORS
PARTICIPATE
1851 FRANCHISE - DIAMOND LEVEL
1851 Franchise is the industry’s most comprehensive content marketing and franchise
development solution. 1851 Franchise has been able to leverage more than 200,000 monthly
readers and potential franchisees, to create custom marketing campaigns to drive potential
leads franchise brands.
AMERICAN SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS - PLATINUM LEVEL
American Solutions for Business is a leading distributor of print, promotional products, corp.
logoed apparel, eCommerce and marketing solutions. With over 7,000 suppliers and 800 sales
associates and support staff, American is your connection to a solid network of people and
possibilities.
ACTIO MARKETING - PLATINUM LEVEL
Actio is two agencies in one. We are a meeting agency that understands how to grow your
brand and we are a marketing agency that understands how to leverage meetings most
effectively. We are Technology and Franchise Organization experts.
LISTEN360 - GOLD LEVEL
Listen360 is a powerful, NPS-based customer engagement platform for companies that
understand customer feedback is key to creating loyalty, making smart decisions and growing
their business. The Listen360 platform enables businesses to engage customers, take necessary
action to improve deficiencies, and transform delighted customers into brand advocates via
social media.
BOEFLY - SILVER LEVEL
BoeFly’s Franchise Sales & Financing System helps brands source new leads, increase their lead-tofranchise sale conversion rate and accelerate openings. BoeFly helped Papa Murphy’s spike their
conversion rate by 14 times; find out what BoeFly can do for you. www.BoeFly.com/franchisor.cfm
CTO NATION - SILVER LEVEL
Every business needs a Chief Technology Officer. CTO Nation provides experienced franchise
technology executives to assess your technology strategy, to develop a roadmap that supports
business objectives, and to help maximize ROI on technology.
FRANCHISE BUSINESS REVIEW - SILVER LEVEL
Make informed ROI maximizing decisions regarding support and sell units faster. Franchise
Business Review’s (FBR) franchisee satisfaction survey provides actionable feedback regarding
what matters most to your franchisees so you can prioritize tasks in order to quickly strengthen
your brand. This results in better validation, which leads to more sales.
38
EXPLORE SOLUTIONS
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