The 14 Franchising Leaders Will Advance Association’s Mission
- International Franchise Association names board of directors who will begin three-year terms in February.
- The board members are established leaders among franchisor, franchisee and supplier members of IFA.
- IFA Board of Directors also will include representation from the association’s Diversity Institute Board, Women’s Franchise Committee and its three forums.
The International Franchise Association on Wednesday revealed the 14 franchise professionals who will begin serving on its board of directors early next year. The new directors represent the ranks of franchisors, franchisees and IFA supplier members and will assume their positions during the 2026 IFA Annual Convention being held Feb. 23-25 in Las Vegas. They will serve three-year terms.
The 2026 IFA Board of Directors includes representation from a wide array of industries and business lines, reflecting the diversity of the franchise business model and the breadth of IFA’s membership. According to IFA data, in 2024, there were 831,000 franchise businesses in the U.S. employing nearly 9 million people and generating more than $900 billion in economic output.
Incoming Board
The new IFA board members will be:
- Bill Bode, chief operating officer of Planet Fitness.
- Lane Fisher, a partner with Fisher Zucker law firm.
- Charles Keyser, president of Neonwax LP.
- Kevin King, CEO and president of Donatos Pizza.
- Shelly O’Callaghan, executive vice president and general counsel for International Dairy Queen.
- Nadia Sarangi, vice president and associate general counsel of IHG Hotels & Resorts.
- Joe Sieve, chief restaurant and global development officer of Papa Johns International.
- Cheryl Stanton, chief legal and government affairs officer for Brightstar Care.
- Brad Stevenson, chief development officer of Neighborly.
- Sam Tatevosyan, vice president, federal government relations and global policy, McDonald’s Corp.
- Clement Troutman, a Tropical Smoothie Café franchise owner.
- Larisa Walega, chief growth officer of Ziebart automotive protection.
- Richard Weissman, chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of The Learning Experience.
- Tom Wood, president and CEO of Floor Coverings International.
IFA President and CEO Matt Haller complimented the incoming board members as accomplished leaders “who represent the best of franchising – business owners and executives who understand the power of franchising to grow brands and support local ownership in the U.S. and around the world. I’m grateful for their volunteer service in support of the IFA mission to strengthen the franchise business model and ensure the success of our members across all sectors.”
Mary Kennedy Thompson, outgoing chair of the IFA Board of Directors and CEO of Business Network International (BNI), said the new board “brings a wealth of experience from across franchising’s diverse ecosystem. Their insight and leadership will help IFA continue to advocate for franchising and expand opportunity in the U.S. and around the world.”
Additional Board Representation
The 2026 IFA Board of Directors also will include representatives from the association’s Diversity Institute Board, Women’s Franchise Committee and each of the IFA’s three forums (Franchisee Forum, Franchisor Forum and Supplier Forum Advisory Board). The following representatives will serve on the board of directors concurrently with their other IFA roles.
- Chair of the IFA Foundation’s Diversity Institute Board – John Lancaster, senior vice president of franchise development for Choice Hotels
- Chair of the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee – Ali Kraus, chief marketing officer, Benetrends Financial
- From the Franchisee Forum: Chair Jesse Keyser, CEO of Keyser Enterprises; and Vice Chair Stephen Shields, Express Employment Professionals franchise owner
- Representing the Franchisor Forum: Chair Emma Dickison, CEO and president of Home Helpers Home Care, and Wood of Floor Coverings International
- Supplier Forum Advisory Board: Chair Abby Schmidt, national partnership development manager of Paychex; Vice Chair Daniel Mormino, president of sales and chief business officer of InfinitiHR
IFA’s 2026 Officers
In addition to the new directors, IFA announces the succession of its 2026 officers, including the appointment of Dave Mortensen, co-founder of Anytime Fitness and on the board of directors of Purpose Brands, who will be the incoming second vice chair of the IFA’s Board of Directors. Other officers are Chair Sam Ballas, CEO and founder of East Coast Wings + Grill and Sammy’s Sliders; Vice Chair Gary Robins, president of The G & C Robins Co.; and Thompson.
