Charles Watson, Tropical Smoothie Cafe
Charles Watson, Vice President of Franchise Development
Charles Watson has been Vice President of Franchise Development for Tropical Smoothie Café (TSC) since January 2010. In this role Charles is responsible for all domestic and international development of the Tropical Smoothie Café brand through both corporate supported territories and area developer territories. Charles oversees both the Franchise Development and Franchise Administration departments. Under his leadership, the TSC system has grown from 265 open units to 345 open units.
A veteran hospitality professional, Charles 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). Charles began his career as Director of Franchise Development for the Northeast US for US Franchise Systems, Inc. developing the Microtel Inns, Hawthorn Suites and America’s Best Inn’s hotel brands and was an all-star team member. As a Vice President for US Franchise Systems / Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Charles was responsible for all re-licensing activities, lead generation and sales management strategy. In his time with IHG, Charles 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. Charles 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.
Charles 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. Charles lives in Atlanta with his wife and son.
Dan Stone, Front Burner Brands
Dan Stone, CFE, Vice President of Franchise Development, Front Burner Brands
As vice president of franchise development for Front Burner Brands, Dan Stone is responsible for domestic and international development for all Front Burner Brands concepts. He oversees franchise compliance, legal and franchise administration. Previously, Stone served as director of franchise development for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.
Front Burner Brands, Inc. is a full-service and fast-casual restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and is affiliated with dynamic and niche-specific brands including The Melting Pot, the premier fondue restaurant franchise with more than 135 locations in four countries, Burger 21, the “beyond the better burger” franchise concept with nine locations and over twenty in development in more than eight states, and GrillSmith restaurants with six locations in Tampa, Fla., as well as other concepts in development.
Prior to joining The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. in 2006 as director of franchise sales, Stone was the director of human resources and assistant general manager for Winegardner & Hammons, Inc., a professional hotel management firm that manages multiple hotel franchises nationwide including Marriott and Embassy Suites. Responsibilities included food and beverage, sales, marketing, event planning, revenue management, hotel operations and human resources.
A graduate of Penn State University, Stone earned his bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management. He received his Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) certification from the International Franchise Association (IFA) in February 2010. He serves on the board of directors for the Montessori School for the Deaf in Clearwater, Fla., was a founding steering committee member for the Friends of St. Jude Tampa Chapter and is a key organizer in the IFA FBN Tampa Chapter.
Sherry Kinard, The Brand Banking Company
Sherry Kinard, Vice President, Commercial Banking Division at The Brand Banking Company
Sherry Kinard is a Vice President within the Commercial Banking Division at The Brand Banking Company. In this capacity she serves as Manager of the Government Guaranteed Lending Division. She is responsible for implementing and growing both the SBA and USDA loan programs. To stay abreast of the constant changes within the industry, she works closely with the Georgia District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL), and the Georgia Lenders Quality Circle (GLQC).
Sherry has a solid foundation in this arena, as her career has progressed from SBA loan processor/servicer, Portfolio Management, to Assistant Vice President/Business Development Officer for the Atlanta Metropolitan area. Her thorough understanding of SBA and USDA lending policies and procedures is what sets her apart.
Born and raised in “The Emerald City” of Greenwood, SC. She is married to her high school sweetheart Jamey and they are the proud parents of a very active, intelligent, handsome and loving son, Jalen.
She is a member Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Board Member of DEBCO and Loan Committee Vice Chair for Invest Atlanta. She also proudly serves as Chair of Georgia Lender’s Quality Circle.
Jonathan Benjamin, Huddle House, Inc.
Jonathan E. Benjamin, Chief Development Officer, Huddle House, Inc.
Jonathan E. Benjamin, or “J.B.” as he is known to his colleagues, is spearheading the brand’s revitalized expansion goals across the country. He recently joined the Huddle House leadership team in July 2013, taking an active role in setting up the franchise sales processes while immersing himself in the brand’s culture. He previously managed development teams that led to record growth throughout North America while at Corner Bakery Cafe, Wyndham Worldwide and Global Hyatt. He has a proven track record of excellence in sales and development, where he and his teams have won numerous awards for their innovative strategies and accomplishments. In his new role as CDO at Huddle House, he is working with his development team, as well as the entire leadership team, to rapidly expand franchise growth.
Jonathan graduated from Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business, with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, and a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School. He began his career as a practicing attorney, but soon discovered his acumen for sales and a passion for franchising. Beginning with US Franchise Systems as a Sales Director, he gained his extensive franchise knowledge and developed his consultative sales processes which created the foundation for his success in the industry. He is a mentor to many and continually receives solicitations asking for advice and insights on the processes that made them all so successful. Jonathan is a regular panel speaker at numerous conferences and board presentations where his expertise provides perspectives on development opportunities, segment comparisons, market analysis, franchising and legal issues.
Kevin King, Papa Murphy’s
Kevin King, Chief Development Officer, Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza
Kevin King joined Papa Murphy’s International, Inc., now known as Papa Murphy’s International LLC, in June 2005 as Senior Vice President of Development. In June 2009, Mr. King was promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations. In November 2011, Mr. King was promoted to Chief Development Officer.
Prior to joining Papa Murphy’s International, Inc., Mr. King was with JP Morgan Chase & Co. in Columbus, Ohio from September 2003 to June 2005 working first as Vice President, Regional Planner and then as a Regional Vice President of Real Estate and Construction.
Laura Tanaka, Del Taco
Laura Tanaka, Director of Franchise Development for Del Taco
Laura Tanaka is the Director of Franchise Development for Del Taco, the second largest Mexican QSR brand in the US. Laura has been with Del Taco since November 2011 and is responsible for growing the brand through franchise recruitment for the entire US. Her background includes 20+ years of successful franchise sales, development, operations, management, and real estate experience with some of the “top 100 companies” in the QSR and casual dining categories such as IHOP Restaurants, Popeye’s Chicken, Mrs. Fields Famous Brands and Steak n Shake. In addition, Ms. Tanaka was a multi-unit franchisee owner/operator of Papa Murphy’s Take-N-Bake Pizza in the San Francisco area for four years. Laura also has extensive experience in non-traditional development in airports, colleges & universities and military bases. She graduated with an MBA from Pepperdine University and is a member of ICSC and IFA (International Franchise Association). She lives in Huntington Beach, CA with her husband.
Lydia Fogarty, Planet Fitness
Lydia Fogarty, Director of Franchise Finance, Planet Fitness
Lydia Fogarty has served as our Director of Franchise Finance since April 2012. From June 2010 through March 2012, Ms. Fogarty was our Human Resource Manager. From August 2005 through January 2010, Ms. Fogarty worked in the finance division at Direct Capital
Corporation in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Bruce Hawley, Stewart Title
Senior Vice President, Senior Underwriting Counsel and Multinational Title Services Group Manager – Stewart Title Guaranty Company – New York, NY and Fairfield, CT
E-Mail: bhawley@stewart.com
Phone: 646-525-3542
An accomplished veteran with over 30 years in the real estate industry, Hawley joined Stewart in 2000. In addition to managing Stewart Title Guaranty Company’s Multinational Title Services Group in New York City and Fairfield, Connecticut and providing national underwriting services, Hawley is responsible for developing business with multinational law firms and companies throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.
Hawley has served in many capacities in the title insurance industry including New York Metro National Title Services Office Manager, Senior National Commercial Underwriting Counsel, New England Area Manager, New England Area Marketing Manager, Northeast Regional Claims Counsel, State Title Operations Counsel, Staff Attorney, and as a Title Agent for leading national and regional title companies.
Hawley received his undergraduate degree in English from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and his law degree from the University of Detroit-Mercy. He is currently Vice-Chair of the Residential, Multi-family and Special Use Group of the American Bar Association (ABA) Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section and is a member of the board of directors of the International Association of Attorneys & Executives in Corporate Real Estate (AECRE).
He is a frequent speaker at national real estate law conferences and has authored several articles. His latest article entitled “Due diligence considerations for multi-national/multi-state commercial real estate transactions — with an emphasis on title insurance” appears in the Corporate Real Estate Journal, Vol. 1, Number 4 Fall 2011.
He is also a retired Brigadier General from the U.S. Air Force, receiving the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal during his distinguished 34 year career in the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps.
Beth Solomon, NADCO
Beth Solomon, President & CEO, NADCO
Beth Solomon is President & CEO of the National Association of Development Companies (NADCO), representing 270 Certified Development Companies which provided $6 billion in financing for nearly 10,000 small businesses in 2012, helping U.S. small businesses create the jobs America needs. She was previously Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Industry Relations at the International Franchise Association, leading the organization’s efforts on small business lending, veterans and international growth. Ms. Solomon led strategic communications at the National Restaurant Association and the National Association of Manufacturers after working in the entertainment industry at William Morris Endeavor, the Hollywood talent and literary agency. Before joining the staff of U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn as a speechwriter, she was a radio journalist in the Voice of America’s East Africa bureau in Nairobi, Kenya, covering Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. She then joined the ABC News bureau in Berlin where she reported on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the first free elections in East Europe. Ms. Solomon has a B.A. in History from Yale University.
Bob Coleman, Coleman Report
Bob Coleman, Editor, Coleman Report
Bob Coleman is the Author of “Money Money Everywhere and Not a Drop for Main Street“. Coleman is the Editor of the Coleman Report, a trade newsletter for small business bankers. He is the nationally recognized expert on small business financing. He has appeared on Fox Business News and CNN and has been quoted by all major financial media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg. He has spoken at numerous small business banking events across the United States, including international engagements in the U.K. and Germany. Coleman has a B.A. in Medieval History from the University of California Santa Barbara and a M.B.A. in Real Estate Finance from the University of Southern California.
John Hamburger, Franchise Times Corp.
John Hamburger, President, Franchise Times Corp.
John Hamburger is the founder and president of Franchise Times Corp., a national publisher of business trade journals in 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 industry executive conferences including The Restaurant Finance & Development Conference and the Franchise Finance Conference.
John is a frequent speaker at restaurant and franchise industry events on finance and development topics. He is also frequently quoted about financial matters concerning restaurant, franchise and hospitality businesses in national business publications. He has over 32 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.
John 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. John is director of the Western Golf Association, which administers the Evan’s Scholarship Program.
2808 Anthony Lane south
Minneapolis, MN 55418
612-767-3201
jhamburger@franchisetimes.com
Mike Rozman, BoeFly
Mike Rozman is Co-President and Chief Strategy Officer of BoeFly, LLC.
Mike oversees business development, marketing, and external affairs. He drives best practice information in the credit industry overseeing BoeFly’s educational programs and outreach, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events focused on small business lending, franchise finance and secondary markets.
Previously, Mike was the President and Co-Founder of Edgeware Analytics, Inc. the parent company to GovGex and Small Business Loan Exchange, the two online marketplaces that served as the founding platforms of BoeFly. Prior to co-founding Edgeware Analytics in 2003, Mike was a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase in their Global Bank.
Mike earned a dual-MBA from Columbia Business School and the London Business School as well as a bachelor’s degree from Boston College
Sharon O’Connor-Clarke, FICO
Sharon O’Connor-Clarke, Principal Consultant, FICO
Sharon O’Connor-Clarke has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry. She is currently a Strategic Partner with FICO where she is responsible for enhancing the strategic relationships with customers by identifying solutions to their business needs based on her strong knowledge of financial services and government, marketing and credit risk, analytics and scoring, small business, and strategy development.
Prior to joining FICO, Sharon was Senior Director-Financial Services for Experian. As a member of the Business Information Solutions Team, she was responsible for client consulting and development of new products based on client needs within the financial services industry. Sharon’s additional banking experience includes VP, Provenir; Managing Director, D&B; VP, GeoTrust; SVP, Strategic Analytics, Direct Marketing and Privacy, KeyCorp; and Manager, Commercial Markets Initiative for Fair, Isaac.
Sharon has a BA in Psychology from San Jose State University and an MA in Behavioral Statistics from Baylor University.
Rich Bradshaw, TD Bank
Head of Small Business Administration (SBA) Programs, TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank
Richard Bradshaw is the Head of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Programs at TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank.
Based in Greenville, S.C., Bradshaw manages TD Bank’s expanding SBA team in delivering competitively-priced, government-backed financing programs that help small businesses grow and succeed. He steers the bank’s efforts to achieve SBA portfolio growth and become a top SBA lender throughout the Maine to Florida footprint. TD Bank is currently the 7th largest SBA lender in the U.S. (as of September 30, 2012).
Bradshaw brings more than 20 years of experience in the lending field to TD Bank. Bradshaw came to the bank following his outstanding leadership at Carolina First, where he was instrumental in developing Carolina First’s successful SBA lending unit starting in Aug. 2009. Prior to his work at Carolina First, Bradshaw served as President at UPS Capital Business Credit in Atlanta, Ga. Under his direction, the company tripled SBA origination volume and moved from 45th to the 9th largest lender during the SBA’s 2008 fiscal year.
Bradshaw is a retired, highly decorated Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve Intelligence Program, and served five years of active duty as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and a Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He is currently on the Board of Directors for Greenville Literacy Association and NAGGL (National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders).
Terri Denison, SBA
Terri Denison, SBA District Director for Georgia District Office
Terri Denison is the Georgia District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role since May 2002, she is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the SBA’s capital, counseling/training and government contracting assistance programs throughout Georgia.
In 1987, Terri began her SBA career as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Agency’s Washington, D. C. District and Headquarter Offices. Other positions included working with the Agency’s Business Development and One Stop Capital Shop programs and Office of Field Operations. In 1994, she served as the SBA representative on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community Interagency Task Force. Outside Washington, Terri has served as the SBA Indiana Deputy Director, Acting Los Angeles Deputy Director and Acting Wisconsin District Director.
As Georgia District Director, Terri has received honors from the Atlanta Business League, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Microenterprise Network, Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance and Atlanta Business Chronicle.
A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Ms. Denison holds a B.A. Degree in American Government from Cornell University and an M.A. Degree in Urban Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.
233 Peachtree St NE, Suite 1900
Atlanta, GA 30303
terri.denison@sba.gov
Steve Sheinbaum, Merchant Cash and Capital
Stephen J. Sheinbaum, President and Chief Executive Officer, Merchant Cash and Capital
Mr. Sheinbaum founded Merchant Cash and Capital in April, 2005 and has served as President and CEO ever since. Under his guidance, the company has grown from doing three transactions a month to its present status as one of the industry’s leading cash advance providers. Prior to forming MCC, Mr. Sheinbaum practiced law for 18 years. His practice involved complex commercial litigation, transnational work and advising on general business matters. His clients included credit card processors, independent sale organizations, restaurants and a variety of publicly and
privately held businesses.
Shelly Sun, BrightStar Care
Shelly Sun, CEO and Co-Founder of BrightStar
Shelly Sun is the CEO and co-founder of BrightStar®, 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, Shelly, along with her husband and co-founder 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. Since 2005, BrightStar has grown to over 250 locations nationwide. Today, in addition to leading the strategy and talent development for the BrightStar® Lifecare | Kidcare | Staffing and BrightStar® Technology Group divisions, Shelly is charting the vision for complementary brands and services to help consumers care for their families and homes.
Shelly is a Certified Franchise Executive and participates on the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Board of Directors. Shelly was also selected by the IFA as the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year. Shelly was recognized as the fastest growing Woman Owned Company in 2011 and 2012 by American Express and featured in Entrepreneur Magazine. BrightStar® was selected for the Inc. 500/5000 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was featured on CBS’ Undercover Boss in April 2011 and replayed June 2012.
Shelly is married (husband J.D.) and has twin eight year old boys, Mike and Luc. Shelly and her family enjoy traveling together, mostly internationally. Shelly and J.D. are also avid wine enthusiasts, visiting Napa 3-6 times per year.
Pierre Panos, Fresh To Order
Pierre Panos, Founder and CEO
A South African native of Greek decent, entrepreneur and restaurateur Pierre Panos has a resume that does not disappoint. Having founded three restaurant concepts from scratch and owned four different businesses during his career, Panos learned the key to successful restaurant operation – differentiate yourself from the outset, creating something unique.
In 1988, at the age of 24, Panos developed a fast food mobile vending concept, which won the Small Business Development Award for South Africa. After selling the concept for a profit, Panos, a CPA by training, worked as a manager at Coopers & Lybrand, the second largest financial services and audit corporation in the world at the time. A few years later he developed and operated a full-service, casual dining restaurant, Late Nite Al’s Restaurant, which he operated with his brother for 5 years, building it into the 3rd busiest restaurant in South Africa, before selling it and moving to America.
Shortly after arriving in Atlanta in 1993, Panos became CFO and co-owner of Brookwood Grill, Inc., overseeing the operations of four stores with combined sales exceeding $16 million. He went on to found Stoney River Legendary Steaks in 1996 – and later Brookstone Management, the parent company of Stoney River and Brookwood Grill, which he sold to Nashville based O’Charley’s Inc. in 2000.
In 2000, Panos established QS America, now a $60 million company, parenting 42 Papa Johns franchises, Brookwood Grill, Brookwood Catering and now its crown jewel, Fresh To Order (f2o).
Fresh To Order was founded in 2006, when Panos and his long-time executive chef Jesse Gideon, partnered to pioneer the innovative “fast fine” dining concept in Atlanta. The concept, which now has 10 restaurants quickly, distanced itself from fast-casual concepts by providing a finer dining taste profile and an elevated level of service and facilities, at a fast casual price point. Panos began franchising the highly successful brand in 2010. By 2017, he expects Fresh To Order to have 50 corporate and franchised locations open nationwide, with another 50 in various stages of development.
In addition to his full plate of business pursuits, Panos remains active in the restaurant industry as well as the community.
Cassius Butts, SBA
Cassius Butts, Regional Administrator for Region IV, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Cassius Butts is the Regional Administrator for Region IV of the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). He is responsible for delivery of SBA programs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. He was appointed to this position by President Obama on April 25, 2011.
SBA helps develop thousands of small businesses each year by providing access to start-up and expansion capital, counseling, training, surety bonding, business and home disaster mitigation loans and government contracting opportunities. Region IV is consistently among the top three most active regions in the nation for SBA guaranteed lending programs. In 2010, over 160,000 small business loans were approved in the region.
Cassius Butts is a seasoned advocate for government and small business affairs. He has over 20 years experience in government, business, and public administration endeavors. Prior to joining SBA, Cassius was employed as one of three Chiefs of the Real Estate Owned Division with the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where he began his career as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2002.
Prior to his 10 year tenure within the federal government, Cassius Butts worked in senior leadership positions for city government agencies, national lending institutions and higher education. Since 2006, he has also been a Visiting Professor with DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management.
Cassius Butts is responsible for the co-implementation of the Georgia-Pacific Supplier Diversity Program while he worked as a Government Management Consultant. During that time, Georgia-Pacific installed a new client-vendor relationship program which welcomed new and seasoned small business owners. This process earned them Supplier Diversity Company of the Year according to the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. Cassius later founded CB Consulting Group, LLC, which focused on helping small business entrepreneurs create their business dreams.
As co-founder of CB Consultants, LLC, Cassius Butts has advised many elected officials, local governments and many small businesses over the years. His community-engagement knowledge and appreciation of small business is extensive.
Cassius Butts is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and spent several years in Orlando, Florida. Cassius graduated from Morehouse College and received his graduate degree from Clark Atlanta University’s School of Public Administration. He is also a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute.
Cassius Butts is affiliated with several non profit and leadership organizations. He has been honored by and supports several vital initiatives and has most recently been selected to participate in the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2012.
David Leonardo, Wild Wing Cafe
David Leonardo, Chief Development Officer, Wild Wing Cafe
David Leonardo, CFE has spent the last 10 years with global restaurant chains growing their units domestically and internationally. As Chief Development Officer of Wild Wing Cafe, David is responsible for the companies growth strategy and all of its development needs. At Burger King, Arby’s and Wendy’s International, David has been recognized for his leadership in sourcing and approving new and existing investors/franchisees to develop in various markets and help restructure struggling franchisees through workout programs.
Prior to his 10 years in franchising, David was in Operations Finance and World Wide Strategy with Burger King. This involved working with franchisees on every facet of the franchisee life-cycle including: real estate, M&A, supply chain, marketing, capital and development to ensure franchisees remained financial sound as ongoing business partners.
David started his career as an investment banker doing M&A for JP Morgan’s Latin America team and private equity group. Mr. Leonardo is a Certified Franchise Executive.
Eric Newman, Bojangles’
Eric Newman, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Bojangles’
As Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Bojangles’ companies, Mr. Newman oversees franchise and company development and has responsibility for strategic growth and expansion. During the last five years, under his management of its development functions, Bojangles’ has been one of the fastest growing and most successful expansion companies in the restaurant industry, and has been named as the fastest growing chicken restaurant chain, and among the fastest growing private companies in the nation. In 2012, in his role as General Counsel Mr. Newman was named “Outstanding Corporate Counsel” by the Charlotte Business Journal in its inaugural annual award in the category.
Throughout his career, Mr. Newman has advised numerous companies in various industries with regard to business, corporate and franchise matters as well as legal consultation with various franchise systems and law firms. For many years Mr. Newman has consulted with franchise systems and companies regarding growth and business expansion strategies, both domestically and internationally. He also teaches Constitutional Law and Business Law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Prior to his career in franchise and development, he working in banking and lending as Corporate Counsel for Barclays American Corp, as part of Barclays Bank, and as a staff attorney and law clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Steven M. Romaniello, Roark Capital, IFA
Steven M. Romaniello, Managing Director at Roark Capital and Chairman of the IFA
Romaniello joined Roark in 2008. Romaniello is actively involved with Roark’s investments in FOCUS Brands, Wingstop, Corner Bakery, McAlister’s, and Arby’s. Romaniello is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Franchise Association and is the current Chairman of the IFA Educational Foundation. Prior to joining Roark, Romaniello was CEO of FOCUS Brands. Prior to becoming CEO of FOCUS Brands, Romaniello served as President of Carvel Ice Cream. Under Romaniello’s leadership, FOCUS Brands acquired Cinnabon in 2004, Schlotzsky’s in 2006, and Moe’s Southwest Grill in 2007. Prior to his tenure at FOCUS Brands, Romaniello was President and COO of USFS. Romaniello helped grow USFS from one brand with 22 hotels in nine states to three brands and more than 500 hotels open in 50 states and five countries. Prior to joining USFS, Romaniello was a Vice President at Holiday Inn Worldwide, responsible for franchise services, support, and training for 1,700 hotels in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean operating under the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands. He also led franchise sales and during his tenure, Holiday Inn increased its franchise sales from 60 in 1991 to 300 franchises in 1995. From 1988 to 1991, Romaniello held various positions with Days Inn of America. Romaniello received a B.A. from Tufts University
John Barber, Great American Cookies
John Barber, Chief Development Officer, Global Franchise Group
John Barber currently serves as Chief Development Officer for GFG. In this role, Barber is responsible for overseeing all domestic and international development for the Global Franchise Group family of brands including Marble Slab Creamery®, MaggieMoo’s®, Pretzelmaker® and Great American Cookies®.
Prior to joining GFG, Mr. Barber served as Senior Vice President of Franchise Sales for Focus Brands, an affiliate of Roark Capital.
Mr. Barber brings more than 25 years of experience in strategic management, sales and business development, acquisitions and organizational leadership to his current position at GFG. In addition to his franchise development work with Focus Brands, Mr. Barber worked with Hot Stuff Foods Lettieri’s, the franchisor of convenience stores’ “On the Go” food concepts, for several years in multiple leadership roles including Chief Customer Officer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Executive Vice President of Development. While with Hot Stuff Foods Lettieri’s, he successfully led a concentrated expansion effort, resulting in the signing of 400 new franchise and license deals and launched a new licensing concept – “Hot Stuff Xpress.”
Mr. Barber’s management and development expertise spans a broad spectrum of industries, including foodservice, the beverage industry, and technology. He began his career with The Procter and Gamble Distributing Company, where he served as Unit Sales Manager in one of the largest retail markets in the United States. Following his time at The Procter and Gamble Distributing Company, Mr. Barber held executive positions with Pepsi-Cola North America, Manitowoc Beverage Systems Inc., and Foodbuy LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Compass Group PLC.
He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Ryan Palmer, Monroe Moxness Berg
Ryan Palmer, Monroe Moxness Berg
Ryan Palmer is a shareholder at Monroe Moxness Berg, where he represents concept and brand owners in the development of franchise and other distribution systems for their products and services. His experience includes structuring and documenting domestic and international franchise programs and transactions in a variety of industries and advising clients on the creation and implementation of license and franchise programs for non-traditional venues. He is also active in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance practice groups and frequently advises clients in sale, purchase, license and finance transactions in the multi-unit retail and franchised industries.
Ryan is consistently identified as a Legal Eagle (one of franchising’s top 125 attorneys) by Franchise Times magazine. He graduated cum laude from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where he was the founding editor-in-chief of the school’s law review.
Tim Souther, Georgia Resource Capital Inc.
Tim Souther, President, Georgia Resource Capital
After receiving his degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Georgia in 1997, Tim joined SunTrust Bank as a Financial Services Representative and quickly rose through the ranks to Branch Manager. In 2000, Tim joined B&I Lending, LLC during its explosive growth period. At B&I Lending Tim processed over $50 million in USDA Rural Development Business and Industry (B&I) loans.
Tim began his SBA career in 2000 with Georgia Certified Development Corporation, an SBA 504 Certified Development Company, as a loan packager. In January 2005, Tim joined GCDC full time as Vice President and Chief Underwriter. During his tenure with GCDC, Tim processed over $100 million in SBA 504 loan applications.
In 2009, Tim joined GA Resource Capital as a Business Development Officer covering the state of Georgia. He was promoted to Regional Manager in June 2010, to Acting Executive Director in May 2011, and to Executive Director in December 2012. GA Resource Capital is the highest dollar volume CDC in Georgia three years running.
Tim is also a past Chairman of Georgia Lenders Quality Circle (GLQC), the Statewide SBA/USDA Lenders Association in Georgia. He was elected to the GLQC Board in 2006 and was elected to the Executive Committee in 2007.
Tim is a Georgia and Atlanta native and lives in Metro Atlanta with his wife of 13 years and his three daughters.
Doug Cullinan, Cornerstone Bank
Doug Cullinan, Southeast Region Director for Cornerstone’s Small Business Capital Group
Doug Cullinan started working for Cornerstone Bank in 2007 as a Vice President in the Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Group. From 2007 to 2010, he was involved in over $250MM in Commercial Real Estate transactions, before moving to the Small Business Capital Group in 2010 as a Senior Vice President. Doug now serves as Regional Director of the Southeast Region for Cornerstone’s Small Business Capital Group, with a focus of franchise lending under various SBA programs. Doug’s impressive career includes being involved with over $65 million in franchise loans and $500 million in commercial loans. Doug is recognized nationally as an expert in his field.
Prior to joining Cornerstone, Doug worked as an investment adviser for Shane Investment Property Group, a real estate brokerage firm based in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Doug started his career with Matson, Driscoll, & Damico, LLP, an international forensic accounting firm. Doug’s responsibilities included managing loss mitigation, business interruption, and fraud disputes.
Doug received his BS in Accounting from Clemson University and earned his MBA in Real Estate at Georgia State University.
Dick Larsen, Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza
Dick Larsen, VP of Development/Financing, Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza
Dick joined Papa Murphy’s as a Real Estate Manager working out of Rochester, MN in June, 1998. In February, 2002, he was promoted to Director of Development, assumed the added responsibility of construction project management, and transferred to NW Indiana. In February, 2005, he was promoted to Vice President, responsible for all real estate and construction in the eastern US. In January, 2012, Dick assumed responsibility for all store financing programs.
Prior to joining Papa Murphy’s, Dick worked in commercial real estate for several years in Rochester, MN. Before that he spent 25-years with IBM in a variety of locations and assignments from computer sales to new product development, where his focus was on strategic planning, product planning and competitive analysis. His last 12-years with IBM included a number of management positions.
Dick is a licensed Real Estate Broker and Certified Financial Planner.
Kane Polakoff, Quatrro
Kane Polakoff, Solutions Architect, Quatrro
Kane leads the Solution’s team for Quatrro FPO Solutions providing Finance and Accounting Services and Human Resource Services to small, midsize and large clients. Kane is experienced in delivering high value integrated solutions globally, and leading consulting and business process services engagements. Functioning in areas of solution development, operations, customer relationship management, sales and marketing, Kane has more than seventeen years of wide-ranging leadership and experience, including launching 2 new line of businesses in Healthcare and Finance and Accounting, where as an early stage founding team member responsible for developing the go to market strategy and building the practice while contributing in other functional areas such as sales, solutions, and delivery.
Prior to joining Quatrro FPO Solutions, Kane worked for companies such as Accenture, Aegis and SourceHOV. While at Accenture, Kane was responsible for supporting the BFSI vertical leading cross functional teams through the entire project life cycle for clients such as Allstate Insurance, SunTrust and Bank of America. At SourceHOV and Aegis, Kane grew the Finance and Accounting line of business working with clients within the Healthcare, Publishing, Manufacturing and Retail verticals.
Kane received a B.S. in Business Administration with a Minor in Spanish from the University of California, Riverside. Kane lives in Detroit, Michigan with his family. He enjoys playing and coaching soccer, spending time with his family, traveling the world, and working in his garden.
Joe Lindenmayer, TSS Photography, VetFran
Joe Lindenmayer, President & COO, TSS Photography and Chairman of VetFran
Joe Lindenmayer is President/COO and co-owner of TSS Photography, Inc. (www.TSSPhotography.com) 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. Positioned for additional growth in 2006, Joe and his partner launched a second franchise concept in 2008 called Young Masters, (www.YoungMastersArt.com), which helps schools and youth groups run art enrichment programs for students.
Joe spent six years in the United States Marine Corps, active duty and reserve, and is a veteran of Desert Storm, serving in a tank unit. In addition to his domestic franchise experience, Joe has opened master franchises in Canada, Australia and New Zealand and serves on various boards including the Southeast Franchise Forum, The KV Foundation and other community-based causes. Joe is the Chair of IFA’s VetFran Committee with 590 Franchise companies helping America’s Veterans find careers in Franchising. Originally from Upstate NY, Joe is married and has a daughter.
Keith Gerson, FranConnect
Keith Gerson President, FranConnect
Keith Gerson brings over thirty five years of executive level franchise expertise in building rapid-growth franchise brands that have included venerable brands such AlphaGraphics, PuroSystems, ChemDry, and Mrs. Fields Cookies. Recognized in franchising circles for his willingness to share his leadership experience, and best practices in driving execution, Keith has guided companies to record levels of franchise sales and profitability through his ability to align teams around critical strategic initiatives, engagement and execution – which is why he was brought into FranConnect as its President of Global Operations.
In this capacity, Keith now helps franchise organizations achieve their business objectives through technology and best practices developed and honed by FranConnect, the result of leading over 500 franchise clients and over 70,000 franchise locations to the next level of franchise success.
Roland Schick, InterContinental Hotels Group
Roland Schick, Vice President of Franchise Sales & Development, The Americas IHG
Roland is Vice President, Franchise Sales & Development for the Americas division of IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) PLC.
In his role, Roland is responsible for implementing long-term franchise distribution strategy across all IHG midscale brands (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, & Candlewood Suites) on a micro market-by-market basis across the Eastern half of the United States, the Caribbean and all of Canada. This work includes driving the strategic placement of the new full service Holiday Inn prototype, and maximizing the quality and size/scale of each individual hotel location. Roland leads a team of seven field-based Regional Development Directors who are responsible for building relationships with existing franchisees as well as establishing new relationships.
Roland has been with IHG and its predecessors for some 23 years, beginning his hospitality career in Memphis in 1986 as a marketing intern with Holiday Corporation. He has held a variety of positions in Market Planning, Franchise Development and Franchise Sales during his tenure with the company. He is also an avid Hoosier basketball fan as a double graduate of Indiana University—Bloomington.
Kate Bartosik, FRANdata
Kate Bartosik, Senior Client Solutions Specialist, FRANdata
Kate Bartosik is the Senior Client Solutions Specialist, and the Team Lead for Bank Credit Reports at FRANdata. FRANdata is the primary source of objective research about franchising, providing information, analysis, benchmarking, due diligence and credit risk rating services to franchisors and companies serving the franchise industry.
Kate works with franchisors and lenders on capital access issues. In her years at FRANdata she has worked to facilitate thousands of franchise loans through the Franchise Registry, where franchise brands’ Bank Credit Reports and SBA Approvals are hosted for lenders. An expert on SBA and conventional lending, Kate helps franchisors improve their financing program by having a Bank Credit Report produced and available on the Franchise Registry. More than 5,000 franchise lenders access the Franchise Registry website to find the information they need to underwrite franchise loans.
Kate is a member of the Capital Area Franchise Association, and has participated in over 40 franchise trade shows and conferences. Kate lives in Washington, DC where she earned a master’s degree in International Communication from American University’s School of International Service. She also holds Bachelor of Arts degrees from Michigan State University in International Relations from James Madison College, and in Communication, with a specialization in Public Relations from the College of Communication Arts & Sciences.