HERNDON, Va., November 3, 2025 — FranConnect, the leading provider of AI-powered sales, operations, and marketing solutions for franchise and multi-location businesses, is excited to announce key executive appointments. Charlie Zhang has been named Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and Mark Calvillo has been appointed Chief Product Officer. Both Charlie and Mark have deep experience in growing private equity-backed technology and data companies on a global scale. As part of these new executive appointments, Jaffrey Ali will take on an exciting newly created executive role focused on driving advancements in AI as FranConnect’s Chief AI Officer.     

As AI, automation, and data-driven growth increasingly redefine how franchise and multi-location businesses operate, FranConnect is aligning its leadership to meet these evolving demands—scaling innovation, enhancing operational agility, and deepening its technology capabilities through key executive appointments. 

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how franchise and multi-location businesses operate,” said Gabby Wong, CEO of FranConnect. “Our customers are demanding smarter, faster, and more scalable solutions, and we’re building the team to deliver just that. These promotions reflect our belief that leadership must evolve alongside the market. Jaffrey, Mark, and Charlie each bring the vision and experience needed to help our customers grow in this new era.”  

A New Era of AI Leadership  

The evolution of Jaffrey Ali to Chief AI Officer marks a significant milestone in FranConnect’s innovation strategy. A recognized thought leader, Jaffrey has been the driving force behind FranConnect’s AI strategy, leading the development of Frannie AI™ (featuring specialized agents for Data Analysis, Sales, Operations, Franchise Support, Administration, Training and Finance), FranConnect GO, Candidate Coach, and the advanced analytics suite. His work has helped franchise brands make smarter decisions, optimize operations, and unlock new growth opportunities. The creation of this new role reflects FranConnect’s belief that AI is not just a tool, but a strategic imperative for the future of franchise success.  

Unlocking Product Innovation and Rapid Commercialization  

FranConnect is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mark Calvillo as its new Chief Product Officer. An accomplished product executive with over 25 years of experience in the franchising and restaurant industry, Mark joins FranConnect from Restaurant365 where he led the organization through successive years of hyper-growth, capital rounds, and multiple acquisitions. At FranConnect, he will lead the next chapter of product innovation and commercialization across all product lines and markets globally.  

Scaling Operational Efficiency  

To support the company’s continued growth, FranConnect is thrilled to announce the appointment of Charlie Zhang as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Charlie has an extensive finance and investing background, having started his career in investment banking at Citigroup before moving into private equity investing at Warburg Pincus. Most recently, as CFO of ION Analytics, he led global finance and corporate development through successive years of significant revenue and EBITDA expansion. At FranConnect, he will lead global finance and operations, ensuring the company scales rapidly to capture its immense market opportunity.  

These appointments build on the recent addition of Adam Walton as Chief Customer Officer, who joined FranConnect to lead its customer experience strategy and operations. Together, this expanded leadership team reflects a bold step forward for FranConnect—bringing together deep expertise across product, operations, AI, and customer experience to drive innovation, accelerate growth, and deliver unmatched value to franchise and multi-location businesses. 

“As we continue our march towards serving 2,000 brands globally, FranConnect will continue to invest in transformation across all areas of our business,” says Wong. “Technology businesses are changing rapidly. FranConnect will always strive to be on the cutting-edge to serve the needs of our customers and to lead the market. Transformation is in our DNA.” 

In quick-service restaurants (QSR), the difference between good and great often comes down to one thing.

Of course, the systems and processes matter but it’s the people behind the counter, in the kitchen, and leading each location that truly drive long-term success.

The one thing we are talking about is culture.

Your brand relies on more than just serving great fast food. There is more weight in systems that make sure every team member in every location consistently delivers an experience rooted in shared values and clear standards. With that, your culture pulls more weight than the brand name.

For multi-unit operators and franchisees, building a great organization starts with choosing the right brand and cultivating the right people. Let’s dive into how QSRs unlock business success through great QSR management and organizational culture.

Culture Starts with Leadership

When you look at thriving franchise systems like Jersey Mike’s or Solo Salon,more than just the operational excellence stands out. What people really notice and flock to is the leadership and the culture curated them.

Strong leadership inspires confidence from the top down, and it shows. That inspired confidence shows up in how executives engage with franchisees, how decisions are made, and how values are lived out daily. For many successful owners, that’s the deciding factor when choosing where to invest and grow.

As one multi-unit franchisee explained:

“What drew me to those brands were leadership, strong leadership in both brands, the culture of both brands. The philanthropy, especially in Jersey Mike’s, was huge for me… the CEO really took interest in their franchisees, spending time with you, and personalizing the transaction instead of just being another IFF they’re collecting.”

After working with nearly 1,500 multi-location brands globally, it has become crystal clear that when leadership values people, franchisees feel it and it trickles down to every team member and guest interaction.

Leading Managers Who Build Alignment

Management is where strategy becomes reality. But in many QSRs, management still looks more like firefighting than leadership.

It’s not that managers don’t care. it’s that they’re buried under competing priorities, disconnected systems, and the constant pressure to perform. Without clarity, alignment and the time to instill both, they default to supervising tasks instead of leading people.

Strong QSR management changes that. 

It starts with clear expectations, consistent processes, and accountability that empowers rather than overwhelms. Great systems free managers from the daily grind so they can focus on coaching, performance, and guest experience, AKA the things that actually drive growth.

In the best franchise systems, management excellence isn’t accidental. It’s built on structure, rhythm, and trust. Managers know what success looks like, how to measure it, and how their work ladders up to the brand’s larger goals. That’s how leadership grows. Not through control, but through clarity.

Encouraging Franchisees to Manage with Confidence

Even the best systems fail without empowered operators. Franchisees sit closest to the customer, and their ability to manage effectively determines how well brand standards are lived out at the local level.

The best franchisors understand this and lead with partnership, not policing. They give franchisees the tools, insights, and freedom to run their business effectively while maintaining alignment with brand-wide goals.

Ownership is powerful. When franchisees feel trusted to lead,  to solve problems, coach teams, and make decisions within a clear framework, location quality rises and performance follows.

The highest-performing QSR networks strike a balance with structure without suffocation. Corporate sets the playbook and trusts franchisees to call the plays. That combination builds consistency without killing creativity, and it’s what turns a good brand into a resilient one.

Strong Management Protects the Brand

Every decision a manager makes, every shift they run, and every interaction they have with staff and customers directly shapes the guest experience. Poor management leads to turnover, inconsistency, and missed revenue.

It starts with passionate leaders and adaptable teams who do whatever it takes to make things work. In these early stages, success depends on hustle and heart.

As brands grow, the best operators build structure around their values. They standardize what work so great performance isn’t accidental. Managers evolve from doers to developers, shifting their focus from managing tasks to leading people.

At the highest level, excellence becomes culture. Leaders coach more than they correct. Franchisees take full ownership of their results. 

And the guest experience feels consistent because every team member, from corporate to crew, understands what “great” looks like and takes pride in delivering it.That’s what separates good brands from great ones and it’s the foundation of the FranConnect platform.

Ready to Build Your Path to Management Excellence?

As a Chief Operating Officer, you play a crucial role in shaping how your brand delivers, grows, and scales. You oversee daily performance, drive efficiency, and align teams to a shared vision, but management excellence doesn’t happen by chance.

To help, we’ve created a free resource ‘The Operational Excellence Playbook for COOs.’

Inside, you’ll learn how leading brands use operational excellence to:

• Drive efficiency and accountability across every location
• Empower local management to execute with confidence
• Align daily performance with long-term growth

Download this free playbook today to learn how to create systems that scale, empower teams to perform, and turn operational excellence into a lasting competitive advantage.

Download Playbook Now

In quick-service restaurants (QSR), the difference between good and great often comes down to one thing.

How well your people are trained.

Even the best marketing and management won’t matter if the team behind the counter isn’t confident, consistent, and equipped to deliver the brand promise.

The main takeaway from this blog is that training isn’t just a box to check. Or at least it shouldn’t be treated as such. It should be the foundation of operational excellence. 

When done well, training creates alignment between corporate, franchisees, and frontline teams, ensuring that every guest experience meets the same high standard, no matter which location they visit.

Let’s dive into how great QSR brands use training to strengthen culture, empower leaders, and protect their brand at every level.

Training Starts with the Right Foundation

We have already stated that training isn’t just a box to check. That’s not just us talking for the sake of meeting a word count. It’s the truth. The most successful franchise systems don’t treat training as an afterthought. They see it as the engine that drives growth.

It begins with leadership that believes in developing people as much as developing profits. These brands understand that a well-trained team delivers better service, lower turnover, and higher performance.

One multi-unit franchisee explained it best:

“What drew me to certain brands was their commitment to people, strong leadership, clear communication, and a culture of support. They invested in training, mentorship, and accountability from the top down.”

When training becomes part of the brand’s DNA, it builds trust. Employees feel confident in what’s expected of them, franchisees feel supported, and leadership gains visibility into how standards are executed in real time.

Strong training systems prepare people for the job and they prepare them for growth.

Training Managers Who Lead, Not Just Supervise

Culture can be another buzzword thrown around to give micromanagers and over-supervisors a reason to critique every single movement a team member makes.

Culture means little without execution and that depends on managers who can embody and reinforce it.

In most franchise systems, the franchisee is responsible for training managers, but the best brands make it easy. They remove friction, encourage lifelong learning, and build a path for development. Training should be less about checking boxes and more about nurturing curiosity, accountability, and leadership growth. Great franchise systems should focus on training in who that manager could become next.

A manager’s training shouldn’t stop after opening day. Continuous learning keeps teams adaptable and motivated, especially in high-turnover environments. The goal should be cultivating leaders who grow people, not just manage shifts.

Encouraging Franchisees to Take Ownership

Ultimately, responsibility for training and development sits with the franchisee. The best franchisors empower owners to lead well, providing frameworks and resources without removing autonomy.

As franchise systems grow, maintaining consistent standards across locations becomes exponentially harder. Franchisees operate on the front lines. They see what’s working, what’s not, and how culture shows up in real time. The more ownership they take in training, development, and local decision-making, the stronger the brand becomes.

When franchisees feel trusted to lead their teams and manage challenges independently, they’re more likely to stay engaged and solve problems even when corporate isn’t in the room.

The most successful systems find the balance between structure and autonomy providing frameworks, support, and clear expectations, while allowing each operator to bring their personality and leadership style to the table.

Training as Brand Protection

You likely know firsthand that employee turnover is more than just a staffing issue. It directly impacts your franchise network’s bottom line. The average cost per hire is around $4,700, the cost to replace an employee can range from 6 to 9 months of their salary!

With average franchise business services generating about $180,193 in sales per employee each year, losing even a single employee can result in substantial revenue loss.

Good training is your brand’s safeguard.

When frontline employees understand both how to do their job and why it matters, the brand experience becomes consistent, compliant, and customer-centric.Unless you give the frontline personnel the culture of the system, your brand’s going to suffer. Training reduces risk when done properly and the right documentation minimizes liability.

Whether it’s handling food safely, greeting guests properly, or maintaining cleanliness, training protects both the guest experience and the brand reputation.

The Bottom Line

Every QSR brand is somewhere on the path toward management excellence and that journey is rarely linear.

It starts with passionate leaders, loyal teams, and a willingness to roll up sleeves and solve problems on the fly. In these early stages, success often depends on individual effort. Managers react quickly, make things work, and learn hard lessons in real time.

As brands grow, strong operators begin to build structure around their values. They standardize what works (training routines, communication habits, accountability rhythms) so great performance isn’t accidental. Managers evolve from doers to leaders, shifting focus from daily chaos to team development.

The highest-performing brands reach a stage where excellence becomes culture. Leaders coach more than they correct. Franchisees take ownership of their teams’ success. And the brand experience feels consistent because everyone, from corporate to crew, understands what “great” looks like and takes pride in delivering it.. These capabilities are what transform good brands into great ones and they’re the foundation of the FranConnect platform.

Ready to Build Your Own Path to Excellence?

As a Chief Operating Officer, you play a crucial role in shaping how your brand delivers, grows, and scales. On top of overseeing daily operations, our role includes driving efficiency, aligning processes with strategic goals, and ensuring the brand thrives in a constantly evolving industry.

To help, we’ve created a free resource ‘The Operational Excellence Playbook for COOs.’

Inside, you’ll learn how leading brands use operational excellence to:

• Drive efficiency and accountability across every location
• Empower frontline execution
• Align daily operations with long-term strategy

Download this free playbook today to learn how to create systems that scale, empower teams to perform, and turn operational excellence into a lasting competitive advantage.

Download Playbook Now

Maintaining consistency across every location is one of the biggest challenges growing brands face and the foundation for long-term success. As brands expand, keeping every location aligned becomes both the hardest and most essential part of growth.  

That’s where operational excellence comes in.  

Operational excellence is the discipline of building a business that runs reliably, efficiently, and profitably no matter how many locations, employees, or moving parts you manage. It works by creating systems that keep standards high, teams aligned, and performance predictable, even as you scale.  

It’s not a buzzword. Operational excellence is the framework that makes it possible.  

It’s a repeatable and scalable strategy for delivering reliable performance, strengthened teams, and measurable growth no matter how large your footprint gets. 

 What Is Operational Excellence in Franchise Growth? 

 Operational excellence is the continuous pursuit of improved efficiency, reliability, and effectiveness across all facets of the business. 

 For multi-location brands, it means going beyond compliance to create systems and behaviors that drive quality, efficiency, and growth at scale. 

 And when done right, the results are clear: 

•  20–30% decrease in revenue lost to operational inefficiencies
• 25% improvement in compliance scores
• 18–20% increase in unit-level economics 

 At its core, operational excellence turns growth from a guessing game into a repeatable formula. When you create systems that blend visibility, accountability, and agility, every level of your organization becomes capable of improving performance and protecting profitability, no matter how fast you grow. 

With the right structure and visibility, multi-location brands can scale with confidence, knowing that every location delivers the same quality, efficiency, and experience. 

Why Operational Excellence Matters 

To be brief, customer expectations have changed. 

According to the survey, 73% of Americans are likely to abandon a brand after just one poor customer service experience. With nearly three-quarters of consumers now willing to abandon a brand when customer service is poor, patience for poor customer service by consumers is running perilously thin.   

Inconsistent service, missed standards, or disjointed processes can quickly erode trust in your brand. Operational excellence gives you the structure and visibility to prevent these bad experiences so every location delivers an experience your customers can count on. 

With the right systems in place, brands can: 

• Deliver consistent experiences at every location 
• Improve efficiency and reduce manual work 
• Empower frontline teams to take action 
• Scale faster without losing control 

When every location runs on the same proven playbook, operational chaos turns into clarity. The right systems give leaders real-time insight, frontline teams the confidence to act, and customers the consistent experience that keeps them coming back. 

Common Roadblocks on the Path to Excellence 

Even the best brands can get stuck when their systems don’t evolve with their growth. 

Disconnected Systems 

Training, quality, and performance tools often live in different platforms, or worse, spreadsheets and emails. Without a unified system, it’s nearly impossible to get a real-time view of operations. 

Limited Visibility Across Locations 

If you’re relying on customer complaints or monthly P&Ls to spot issues, you’re already behind. Without real-time insights, leaders can’t coach or course-correct effectively. 

Inconsistent Onboarding and Training 

Without standardized onboarding and continuous learning, new hires get mixed messages, or no training at all, leading to uneven performance and higher turnover. 

The Four Pillars of Operational Excellence 

Operational excellence doesn’t come from a single process. It’s built on four interconnected pillars that drive consistency, accountability, and performance across every location. 

Pillar #1: Standardize Core Operations 

Consistency starts with structure. 

Establish repeatable processes and clear expectations across every location using standardized checklists, SOPs, audits, and workflows. 

When every team follows the same playbook, execution improves and so does the customer experience. 

What it looks like: 

•  Prebuilt digital audits and task lists 
• Centralized SOPs and operational documentation 
• Clear, repeatable processes for recurring activities 

Pillar #2: Enable and Train Teams 

Operational excellence depends on your people. 

Give teams the knowledge, tools, and support they need to perform. Role-based onboarding, microlearning, and ongoing coaching ensure every team member is confident and consistent from day one. 

 What it looks like: 

•  Digital onboarding tied to roles 
• Targeted microlearning modules 
• Field coaching and performance tracking 

Pillar #3: Act on Data 

Dashboards, location scorecards, and tools like Frannie AI help you identify what’s working and what’s not. Instead of waiting for issues to appear in reviews or revenue reports, operators can catch problems early and act in real time. 

What it looks like: 

• Real-time performance dashboards 
• Automated alerts and follow-ups 
• Predictive insights to guide decision-making  

Pillar #4: Close the Loop  

Turn insights into action. 

Operational excellence relies on identifying problems and creating processes to solve them. By connecting audits, training, and performance data, you create a continuous improvement loop that strengthens your culture and results. 

What it looks like: 

• Evaluation results triggering targeted training 
• Trackable action plans and resolution workflows 
• A coaching-first culture, not a policing one 

Together, these four pillars create the structure every growing brand needs to scale with confidence. When they work together, teams know what’s expected, leaders see what’s happening in real time, and every location delivers the same dependable results. 

The Journey Toward Operational Excellence 

Every brand is somewhere on the journey toward operational excellence, and that journey rarely follows a straight line. It begins with foundational processes, often manual and inconsistent, where visibility is limited and leaders are forced to react to issues rather than anticipate them.  

As brands mature, they begin to introduce structure: digital checklists, standardized tools, and early efforts to unify operations. This responsive stage brings progress, but teams often still rely on lagging indicators and siloed systems that make it difficult to see the full picture. 

Momentum builds in the proactive stage, where systems start to integrate, data becomes central to decision-making, and coaching replaces correction as the dominant management style. Here, leaders begin to spot issues before they affect customers and operations shift from reactive to strategic. 

The final stage which we like to call, ‘optimized operations,’ is where operational excellence becomes a competitive advantage. Automation, AI, and predictive analytics work in the background to identify trends, streamline workflows, and continuously elevate performance. Quality, compliance, and growth move in lockstep, creating a self-sustaining culture of improvement. 

Most brands today fall somewhere between the foundational and proactive stages, working to connect fragmented tools, introduce visibility, and create consistency across locations. The goal isn’t overnight transformation, but a  continuous, data-driven progress built on systems that adapt as you scale. 

What’s visible to customers are the results: consistent experiences, faster service, and stronger performance. But the real power lies beneath the surface in the invisible drivers that make those results possible. Automated workflows, connected training systems, and real-time insights turn operational data into measurable growth. These capabilities are what transform good brands into great ones and they’re the foundation of the FranConnect platform. 

Ready to Build Your Own Path to Excellence? 

As a Chief Operating Officer, you play a crucial role in shaping how your brand delivers, grows, and scales. On top of overseeing daily operations, our role includes driving efficiency, aligning processes with strategic goals, and ensuring the brand thrives in a constantly evolving industry. 

To help, we’ve created a free resource ‘The Operational Excellence Playbook for COOs.’ 

Inside, you’ll learn how leading brands use operational excellence to: 

• Drive efficiency and accountability across every location 
• Empower frontline execution 
• Align daily operations with long-term strategy

Download this free playbook today to learn how to create systems that scale, empower teams to perform, and turn operational excellence into a lasting competitive advantage. 

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