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.” 

HERNDON, Va., October 7, 2025  FranConnect, the leading provider of AI-powered sales, operations, and marketing solutions for franchise and multi-location businesses, is proud to announce the appointment of Adam Walton to its executive leadership team as Chief Customer Officer (CCO). Walton will lead FranConnect’s global customer success, professional services, and education functions. He will also oversee all facets of the customer experience strategy, focusing on enhancing the value delivered to customers and supporting innovation and growth. 

“As FranConnect accelerates its global expansion and leads the industry with AI-first innovation, delivering a seamless and impactful customer experience remains central to our mission,” said Gabby Wong, CEO of FranConnect. “Adam’s deep expertise in customer experience (CX) and AI position him to elevate FranConnect’s customer engagement strategy and deliver lasting impact across our global customer base.”

With over 30 years of experience driving customer value through technology innovation, Walton brings a unique blend of cross-functional leadership across Customer, Product, Operations, and Sales. He held pivotal roles at high-growth SaaS companies including CallMiner and Cresta, where he scaled AI-enabled customer engagement platforms that delivered transformative ROI for global brands.  

“I’m honored to join the FranConnect team at such a pivotal moment,” said Walton. “I look forward to partnering with our customers to harness the power of technology and AI to unlock new levels of value, efficiency, and growth. Together, we’ll further build a customer-first culture rooted in innovation, trust, and meaningful outcomes.” 

Walton’s appointment comes during a landmark year for FranConnect, marked by the launch of breakthrough AI-powered solutions including Frannie AI™ (Data Analyst Agent, Sales Manager Agent, Operations Manager Agent, Franchise Support Agent, Training Manager Agent, Franchise Admin Agent, Finance Officer Agent), Optik IQ™, FranConnect GO and Candidate Coach—all designed to drive operational excellence and smarter decision-making for franchise and multi-location businesses. His leadership will be instrumental in ensuring every customer touchpoint—from onboarding to long-term success—is optimized for impact, innovation, and growth. 

Herndon, VA – August 5, 2025 – FranConnect, a market-leading provider of sales, operations, and marketing solutions for franchise and multi-location businesses, has unveiled FranConnect GO.   A purpose-built, pre-configured platform designed for emerging franchise brands.  FranConnect GO combines the company’s 20+ years of franchise expertise with industry-standard best practices and AI-powered coaching and automation to deliver a right-sized solution that accelerates operational excellence and impact from day one.   

“Too often, emerging brands are left cobbling together spreadsheets, generic tools, and homegrown processes,” said Gabby Wong, CEO of FranConnect. “With FranConnect GO, we’ve distilled the workflows and operational playbooks used by top-performing franchise brands and made them instantly accessible to those just getting started. It’s not just a software platform – it’s an operational jumpstart.”   

Unlike traditional deployments that can require longer configurations, FranConnect GO is ready to launch with pre-built workflows across core functional areas.  This enables fast implementation, streamlined training, and immediate impact across the organization.   

Key capabilities include:  

• Lead-to-Opening Workflows: Manage and convert franchise leads with automated tools that mirror how the best brands scale their networks. The embedded AI Sales Agents provide complete visibility into lead pipeline to maximize conversion and sales team productivity.  

• Location Opening Excellence: Ensure each new unit launches on time, on brand, and on budget with guided onboarding checklists and milestone tracking.  

• Franchisee Enablement & Engagement: Deliver consistent training, performance management, and communication from day one to drive unit success. Built-in AI driven insights also help franchisors monitor performance trends and identify opportunities.  

“Emerging brands don’t have the luxury of trial and error,” said Jaffrey Ali, Chief Product Officer at FranConnect. “FranConnect GO gives them a playbook for how successful franchises operate – right out of the box. That means faster ROI, higher adoption, and better outcomes for both franchisors and franchisees.”   

FranConnect GO is designed to evolve with each brand’s growth. As companies expand and operational needs grow more complex, they can graduate seamlessly to FranConnect’s enterprise-grade platform without losing momentum or historical data.   

FranConnect GO is already being adopted by early-stage brands looking to replace manual processes and disjointed systems with a scalable foundation built for growth.  

FranConnect Launches Optik IQ™, an Intelligent Operational Excellence Platform, to Boost Compliance and Operational Effectiveness for Corporate-Owned Businesses 

Herndon, VA – February 5, 2024 – FranConnect, a market-leading provider of sales, operations, and marketing solutions for franchise and multi-location businesses, has unveiled Optik IQ™, its Operational Excellence platform, transforming how corporate-owned businesses close the loop between identifying operational issues and implementing lasting solutions. The platform converts compliance insights into verified improvements, enabling businesses to transition from audit findings to measurable results in hours instead of weeks. 

“FranConnect understands the complexities of managing multi-location businesses—whether franchised or corporate-owned. These businesses face the same operational challenges, yet most compliance tools stop at simply identifying issues, leaving brands trapped in a cycle of recurring problems,” said Gabby Wong, CEO of FranConnect. “Our platform breaks this cycle by automating the entire resolution journey, reducing correction time by 60%, and virtually eliminating repeat compliance issues. Customers have seen a 25% improvement in compliance scores through this systematic approach.” 

 The platform introduces three breakthrough capabilities for closing the operational loop: 

• Intelligent Issue Resolution: Instantly converts audit findings into assigned tasks with built-in verification steps, ensuring 100% follow-through on critical compliance issues. 

• Adaptive Learning Engine: Automatically triggers role-specific training based on audit patterns, reducing repeat violations by 85% through targeted skill development. 

• Predictive Performance Analytics: Identifies compliance trends across locations before they become systemic issues, with proven reduction in critical findings through early intervention. 

“Traditional compliance processes create gaps between detection and correction,” said Jaffrey Ali, Chief Product Officer at FranConnect. “By orchestrating every step from discovery to verification, we’re helping brands cut their compliance-to-correction cycle from weeks to days while ensuring sustainable improvements.” 

The solution addresses the growing challenge of maintaining consistent operations across hundreds or thousands of locations while adapting to evolving compliance requirements. This systematic approach ensures that insights drive immediate action and lasting change. 

 “In today’s operating environment, identifying issues isn’t enough – brands need to drive and verify improvement,” added Wong. “That’s why FranConnect consolidates multiple audit solutions into a single, centralized system, giving businesses a complete view of compliance and performance. Our platform transforms insights into verified action, giving corporate-owned businesses the tools to not just maintain standards, but systematically elevate them.” 

 For more information on FranConnect’s Operational Excellence Platform or to schedule a demo, visit www.franconnect.com. 

About FranConnect  

FranConnect is the leading enterprise software provider for franchise and multi-location businesses. For over 20 years, the FranConnect platform has served as the backbone for sales, operations, and marketing for over 1,500 brands and one million locations worldwide. Iconic brands such as SPARC/Authentic Brands (Forever 21), Tropical Smoothie Café, Authority Brands, and Papa John’s rely on FranConnect to expand locations, streamline unit operations, enhance collaboration, and improve profitability. Backed by private equity investor Serent Capital, FranConnect is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, with global offices in Australia, India, Colombia, and Canada.