Padulo Leads the Dance Studio Franchise Into New Chapter of Growth
Tony Padulo is the new chief development officer for Arthur Murray Dance Studios. He has more than 40 years of franchise development experience with brands including BrightStar Care, Goddard Systems, AAMCO Transmissions, Dunkin’ and School of Rock.
“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work with such a historic brand and build a new development strategy, while optimizing our franchise award process and setting our franchisees up for success,” Padulo said. “Our franchisees are great people and very welcoming of the opportunity to benefit from the brand’s expansion and the addition of new entrepreneurs. I’ve met with many of them virtually to walk them through the vision, and I was energized by their feedback and excitement. Arthur Murray is a storied brand, and there’s a huge opportunity to leverage our past while building for the future.”
Padulo said his main goals as CDO are creating the right franchise development strategy, driving external recruitment and improving franchisee support. His addition to the leadership team represents a new chapter in the dance studio franchise’s growth.
A Growing Leadership Team
In addition to Padulo, Kimberley Carroll joins the leadership team as vice president of operations after decades as a multi-unit franchise owner. She recently served as area director, overseeing growth from six studios to 33.
CEO Gary Edwards said Padulo and Carroll will be pivotal to the success of the brand moving forward. “Dance has more global reach today than ever before. As such, we’re building a leadership team dedicated to continuing the Arthur Murray legacy, while driving strategic evolution, operational excellence and global growth, setting the stage for an exciting new era for Arthur Murray and the communities we serve,” Edwards said.
Padulo said trust is at the heart of his leadership philosophy. “I’ve always believed that how your team performs directly reflects your leadership. If your team is executing and driving results, then you’re leading them the right way. I also believe in leading the way I want to be led. Early in my career, I had a boss who trusted me completely and allowed me to have autonomy. That set the path for how I want to lead others, and I fully intend to do that with my team at Arthur Murray.”
About Arthur Murray Dance Studios
Arthur Murray Dance Studios provides individual and group lessons for dancers of all ages and experience levels. These lessons are centered around social dancing and the World Famous Arthur Murray teaching method, offering a fun, comfortable environment for all students learning ballroom dance or preparing for a wedding or competition.
