Ford’s Promotion Caps Off a Trio of New Additions to Raintree’s Leadership Team
Sundi Ford is the new COO of Raintree, a franchise development company that focuses on growing emerging brands. Ford recently served as Raintree’s vice president of operations. As COO, she will oversee Raintree’s operational functions. The announcement of Ford’s new role caps off Raintree’s trio of leadership promotions. Linton Dowling and Lana Mazin were promoted to vice president of marketing and vice president of relationship marketing respectively.
Social media was buzzing after the announcement of Ford’s promotion. Raintree’s LinkedIn company page praised Ford as she “successfully transitioned Raintree to a culture-first company. She’s overseen and executed some truly innovative franchise development strategies and tactics and improved a plethora of internal training and development processes. Ultimately, these achievements played a critical role in helping all the Raintree brands achieve or exceed their franchise sales goals in 2021.”
Ford looks forward to working with the franchise development company’s leadership team. “To say I love this team is an understatement. I am so honored to work alongside so many wickedly talented humans as we continue to bring our mission to life and live our core values,” Ford said.
Ford’s executive leadership experience includes the COO position at bēkn, a wellness and fitness services company, and vice president of operations of Verus Global, a professional coaching and training company. Ford works alongside founders and CEOs to steer business expansion while building the infrastructure to organize companies for growth and profitability.
Ford will use her leadership skills as Raintree’s COO. “I’m most looking forward to further utilizing my skills to support this incredible team. I’m so excited for our evolution and continued growth. We are driven by innovation, which lends itself to continuous improvement in our systems and processes. The more innovative we are as a team, the more we are able to support our brand partners, and that is exciting,” Ford said.
In Ford’s view, Raintree will positively impact the future of franchising. “It is our mission to deliver innovative and responsible franchise growth. In doing so, we strive to be true partners to our brands. Our culture and how we show up for our team, community, brands, and partners within the industry is focused on bringing our mission to life. Because of that, I believe we will have a true positive impact on the industry,” Ford said.
Ford and Franchising
Ford got her start in franchising nearly a decade ago as the director of training and development of PostNet IFC, a packing and shipping services franchise. “Since then, I’ve come to love franchising. My favorite part of the industry is partnering with amazing brands to find great franchise owners and playing a role in achieving growth goals,” Ford said.
For investors looking to make the leap in franchising, Ford suggests looking into the brand’s values and support. “There are so many great franchise brands out there. Find the brand that makes you feel inspired, share your world view, and align with what you’re passionate about. I would also say to look for a brand that has a great support and training infrastructure that can guide you through pre-opening and support you as a business owner,” Ford said.
Ford earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Technical Journalism and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership with a specialization in strategic innovation and change management from Colorado State University. Ford enjoys spending time with her eight children, running marathons, and practicing Muay Thai.