Global Franchise 9.1

franchise development, sales and of course, marketing! Throughout your 20+ years of experience in digital marketing, what moments or experiences have shaped you and how do you plan to apply those lessons and experiences in your new position? Over the course of my career, I’ve learned the importance of adaptability in leading successful marketing teams. I believe that understanding the unique perspectives of both our brands and our franchisees is essential to developing resonant messaging and to delivering exceptional results. Additionally, my background in diving into our analytics has taught me the value of leveraging data-driven insights to inform decision-making and measure campaign success. I plan to apply these lessons and experiences to foster a collaborative culture within the marketing department at UFG. With your keen interest in AI and digital advancements, how do you intend to keep UFG at the forefront of innovation and adaptability in marketing? AI and other new digital advancements represent exciting opportunities for marketers to deliver highly personalized and relevant experiences to audiences at a scale we have never been able to explore in the past. We have created an in-house innovation team specifically to keep up with the latest AI, app and software trends and anything else that we can leverage quickly to help our franchisees pull ahead of the competition. What are the challenges and opportunities facing UFG right now, and how do you plan to address them in your role as CMO? Some of the key challenges facing UFG include navigating shifting market conditions, maintaining consistent brand images across diverse industries, and addressing evolving consumer expectations. To tackle these, I plan to closely monitor industry trends, regularly assess and refine our marketing strategies and encourage more open lines of communication between the marketing and sales departments to ensure alignment and consistency. Additionally, I will work closely with our franchisees to understand their unique needs and concerns and incorporate their feedback into our marketing efforts. How do you plan to maintain a strong connection with franchisees, ensuring that their voices and needs are heard and addressed in the marketing strategies? Maintaining a strong connection with franchisees is crucial to our collective success. Our World Expo is this year and is always a perfect event to connect with all our franchisees from around the world. I strive to empower franchisees by providing them (and their brands’ marketing teams) with top strategies, training materials, best practices and marketing assets to best support their local marketing efforts. As you embark on this new chapter in your career, what personal values or guiding principles do you hold dear that shape? I firmly believe in fostering a positive work environment that encourages creativity, collaboration and continual learning. We focus on Franchisee Success, Revenue and Profit as our main KPIs here at UFG. So those are always in my mind as I shape any strategy ideas or evaluate a new vendor or new tool we may want to use. At what point will you be satisfied with what you’ve achieved? Success for me is defined by creating a positive and lasting impact on the lives of our franchisees and their customers. Ultimately, I hope to leave a legacy of innovation, growth, and inspiration – inspiring future generations of marketing professionals to push boundaries and challenge themselves to achieve greatness. Every day I try to learn something new and improve a little more so there’s never a conclusion – just constant and never-ending improvement. “UFG is poised to be an AI leader in franchising” GLOBAL-FRANCHISE.COM 77