GLOBAL FRANCHISE GROUP® POISED FOR GROWTH WITH LEADERSHIP ADDITIONS AND NEW DEPARTMENTS

Global Franchise Group announces the promotion of GFG executive Jenn Johnston to Chief Brand Officer and President of Franchise Operations and industry veteran, Jim Parrish, joins team as Chief Operating Officer. The creation of the GFG Innovation Center and Brand Integration & Corporate Services team positions the company for expansion.

ATLANTA – August 8, 2019 – Global Franchise Group® (GFG), the strategic brand management company and franchisor of Great American Cookies®, Hot Dog on a Stick®, Pretzelmaker®, Marble Slab Creamery®/MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream & Treatery® and Round Table Pizza® is poised for fast-paced growth with the promotion of Jenn Johnston to Chief Brand Officer and President of Franchise Operations and the addition of restaurant industry veteran Jim Parrish to Chief Operating Officer. In addition to the leadership advancements, the organization has created two new departments – the GFG Innovation Center (IC) and Brand Integration & Corporate Services to support expansion, future acquisitions and continued success.

“This is a thrilling and defining time for Global Franchise Group and these changes position GFG to better service, support and grow our franchise and corporate operations,” said Chris Dull, President and CEO of Global Franchise Group. “With strong strategic leadership, internal resources and shared services, we are ready to champion the next phase of success for our growing company as we look to acquire additional brands under our portfolio.”

For a decade, Johnston served as both Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operations Officer before being promoted to Chief Brand Officer and President of Franchise Operations. She is a key principal in the organization with a reputation for strategic EBITDA growth (organic and through acquisition), building brands and achieving strong Same Store Sales results by analyzing consumer research and trends, and garnering respect with long-standing GFG franchisees. In her new role she will focus on building the franchising side of GFG’s business, as well as generating new revenue streams through licensing, merchandising and e-commerce.

Parrish has extensive experience in restaurant leadership most recently as COO of Hooters of America where he supported delivering nine consecutive quarters of positive comp sales. Prior to Hooters, he served as Senior Vice President and COO of Friendly’s Ice Cream, EVP and COO of Church’s Chicken and Division Vice President for Yum Brands where he provided leadership for 600 Pizza Hut restaurants. As Chief Operating Officer of GFG he will be primarily focused on company store operations and leading the organization through Round Table Pizza Development Corporation (RTDC) revitalization and future development of Hot Dog on a Stick.

The company promoted longtime GFG veterans Allison Lauenstein (former Executive Vice President of Marble Slab Creamery and Pretzelmaker) to lead the Innovation Center as Chief Innovation Officer and David Kaiser (former Executive Vice President of Great American Cookies) to head the Brand Integration & Corporate Services team as Executive Vice President. The Innovation Center highlights GFG’s commitment to new product innovation through strategic leadership. The center will assist in growing GFG’s brands by leveraging research to develop new products through a consumer-centric lens and testing for sales potential. The new Brand Integration & Corporate Services team was created to ensure the shared services platform is always poised for company growth and future brand acquisitions.

Global Franchise Group’s mission is to champion brands and the people who build them. It builds great brands that connect people with craveable products and memorable experiences. GFG currently supports more than 1,500 franchised and corporate stores across all brands located in 16 countries and has system wide sales close to $1 billion.

About Global Franchise Group, LLC – Visit Global Franchise
Global Franchise Group, LLC is a strategic brand management company with a mission of championing franchise brands and the people who build them. The company owns a portfolio of franchise brands that includes five primary quick service restaurant (QSR) franchise concepts: Great American Cookies®, Hot Dog on a Stick®, Marble Slab Creamery®, MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream & Treatery®, Pretzelmaker® and Round Table Pizza®. The brands are managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group, LLC. Global Franchise Group, LLC is a portfolio company of Global Franchise Group, LLC is an affiliate of Lion Capital LLP and Serruya Private Equity, Inc.

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Annica Conrad

Annica Conrad
Chief Marketing Officer

Annica has more than 20 years of award-winning marketing experience and has been with GFG for 3 years. She joined the company from Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers where she was Vice President, Brand Development. In this role, Annica was responsible for the rebirth and growth in popularity of the 42-year-old eclectic brand through smart menu design and development, implementation of the Mellow Mushroom loyalty app and creation and rollout of its first online ordering system. Before her time with Mellow Mushroom, Annica was Vice President of Marketing for Mcalister’s Corporation and she spent the early part of her career at a prominent advertising agency in Mobile Alabama. She is graduate of Samford University in Birmingham where she earned her Bachelors in Marketing and MBA in Economics.

Sam Patterson
Chief Financial Officer

Patterson came to Global Franchise Group in April 2020 from FOCUS Brands where he served as Senior Vice President of Accounting. For the last eleven years, he was responsible for leading financials for Cinnabon, Carvel, Schlotzsky’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice. He directed the organization through the transfer and integration of all accounting back-office functions for Auntie Anne’s from Pennsylvania, McAlister’s Deli from Mississippi, and Jamba Juice from Texas to Atlanta and converted a brand-centric accounting structure into a shared services organization. Before his time with FOCUS, he was Senior Vice President & Corporate Controller for Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video (NASDAQ: MOVI & MVGR), Vice President and Corporate Controller for Republic National Cabinet Corporation, and Corporate Controller for Wolverine Tube, Inc. (NYSE: WLV). He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant, holds a master’s in business administration from Auburn University, and is a graduate of the University of Texas, Tyler.