FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Matthew Haller, 202-662-0770
Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766
mhaller@franchise.org
jweisbord@franchise.org
IFA NAMES SEVEN FRANCHISE LEADERS TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2013 – Franchise business leaders from companies representing the wide scope of franchise businesses were elected to the International Franchise Association board of directors during the association’s Sept. 16 board of directors meeting in Washington, D.C. They will assume their positions at the conclusion of the 54th IFA Annual Convention in New Orleans this upcoming February.
“The franchise industry will benefit from the caliber of broad experience these seven franchise professionals are willing to share with the industry and IFA,” said IFA Chairman Steve Romaniello, CFE, Roark Capital Group managing director and FOCUS Brands chairman. “Our mission to continue to protect, enhance and promote franchising is greatly strengthened thanks to these dedicated individuals and their board peers.”
The new IFA directors are:
- Michael J. Archer, president of Applebee’s Services, Inc.
- Jerry Crawford, CFE, president of Jani-King International, Inc.
- Kathleen Gilmartin, president and CEO of Interim Healthcare, Inc.
- Peter D. Holt, president and CEO of Tasti D-Lite, LLC
- Saunda Kitchen, CFE, multi-unit franchisee of Mr. Rooter Plumbing
- Guillermo Perales, president and CEO of Sun Holdings, LLC
- Andrew F. Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
Michael J. Archer is president of Applebee’s Services, Inc., and Applebee’s International, Inc., where since 2008 he has led the overall strategic direction for all functional areas of Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, the largest casual dining restaurant chain in the world. Previously, Mike served as president & CEO of T.G.I. Friday’s U.S.A., a subsidiary of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide Inc. and president & CEO of Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill. Prior to that, he was COO of Sullivan’s and Del Frisco’s where he was responsible for developing the Sullivan’s Steakhouse concept for Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon. He also served as president & CEO of Morton’s of Chicago, Inc. Throughout his 13-year career with Morton’s, he also held the position of chief financial officer. Mike served on the National Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish® Foundation of America from April 2009 until 2012. Dedicated to ensuring the development of others in the industry, Mike currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) and previously served on the WFF Executive Committee from 2004-2007. Mike received his BBA in accounting from St. Norbert College in DePere, Wis.
Jerry Crawford, CFE, is president of Jani-King International, Inc. and holds various offices and director positions of subsidiary and affiliated companies. He is president and partner of C & C Franchising, Inc., DBA Jani-King of Hampton Roads and Richmond, Va., as well as president and owner of Opportunity Franchising, Inc. DBA Jani-King of Illinois, and vice president of Jani-King Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va. Prior to joining Jani-King, Crawford was district computer center manager for Tandy Corporation. Active in IFA, Crawford has previously served on the IFA board of directors and is chairman of the International Affairs Committee. He is currently on the board of trustees for IFA’s Educational Foundation. He is a graduate of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Okla. and continued his education at Central State University in Edmond, Okla.
Kathleen Gilmartin is president and CEO of Interim HealthCare, Inc. with over 325 franchise locations providing a continuum of home care, hospice and medical staffing services. She has a track record of achieving profitable growth in challenging and competitive healthcare industries. Since joining Interim HealthCare in 2008, Gilmartin has revitalized franchise development with new talent acquisition and technology support to add 16 franchises in the past two years. In addition, she added new talent to drive hospice expansion to 38 locations since 2009, producing cumulative network sales of $60 million. Prior to leading Interim HealthCare, she was COO of the patient care division of Nursefinders, Inc. She is a member of IFA’s Women’s Franchise Committee and the Convention Committee. She is also a board member of the Alliance for Home Care Quality & Innovation and a member of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice Regulatory Advisory Committee. Gilmartin earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from D’Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y.
Peter D. Holt is president & CEO of Tasti-D-Lite and has been active in the franchise community helping companies manage their systems in domestic and overseas markets for more than nearly 30 years. Prior to joining Tasti D-Lite, he was executive in residence for Great Hill Partners, a Boston based private-equity firm with more than $1.5 billion of capital under management. He has also served as COO of 24seven Vending (US), where he launched the franchise system in the United States. In addition, he served as executive vice president of franchise sales and development for Mail Boxes Etc. and as vice president of international for I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt and Java Coast Fine Coffees. He began his franchise career at IFA, and he earned a master’s degree from the University of London, and completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington, where he graduated cum laude.
Saunda Kitchen, CFE, currently owns and operates a 30-vehicle fleet Mr. Rooter Plumbing (part of the Dwyer Group) franchise in Sonoma County, Calif. Kitchen has been involved with franchising since 1996. She has operated as a multi-unit franchisee having owned and operated various Dwyer Group brands, including Mr. Electric, Rainbow International Restoration and Mr. Rooter. Currently the chair of IFA’s Franchisee Forum, Kitchen serves on the IFA Executive Committee. She also co-chairs IFA’s Franchise Congress initiative, as well as serving as the franchisee vice-chairwoman for the Franchise Relations Best Practices Task Force. Her franchise locations have won numerous awards including Top Gun, Market Penetration Leader, Excellence in Leadership, Excellence in Mentoring, Sales Leader of the Year, Franchisee of Year and the Don Dwyer Award of Excellence.
Guillermo Perales is president & CEO of Sun Holdings, LLC, where he manages more than 395 units providing more than 10,000 jobs. Under his leadership, his company has experienced an explosive growth since its founding in 1997. He now operates 76 Popeye’s franchises making him the Second Largest Popeye’s franchisee in the country. He also operates 33 Golden Corral Buffet & Grills, 46 Cici’s restaurants and 175 Burger Kings. He is ranked as the largest Golden Corral and Cici’s franchisee and the fourth largest Burger King franchisee. He recently acquired 52 Arby’s restaurants and expanded his portfolio to operate 13 T-Mobile stores, with a projection to open about 32 restaurants and remodel about 35 more by the end of 2013. An extended list of industry affiliations include a member of the BBVA Compass Bank National Advisory Board, Member and Trustee of Greenhill School Board, AT&T Performing Arts Board and Southwestern Medical Foundation (also serving as a trustee). Numerous honors include American Dream Award recipient during the 2013 Multi-Unit Conference, Honored by Ernst & Young Award. Perales graduated, with high honors, from the Institute Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey as a CPA and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University.
Andrew F. Puzder is chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands. Puzder is broadly credited with resurrecting the Hardee’s brand and turning CKE from a heavily indebted company with declining profits and sales to a profitable, stable company. Prior to joining CKE, Puzder served as executive vice president, general counsel for Fidelity National Financial, Inc. and chief executive officer of Santa Barbara Restaurant Group, Inc. He was formerly a partner with the law firm Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth. Puzder received his juris doctorate in 1978 from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis where he served as senior editor on the “Law Review.” Co-author of the book, “Job Creation: How It Really Works and Why Government Doesn’t Understand lt,” Puzder is a frequent author and commentator on economic, political and legal issues in influential outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Orange County Register, POLITICO, Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC and others. Puzder has recently been honored by the Dream Foundation with the 2013 Outstanding Corporate Partner Award.
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About the International Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.
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