Executives to Know: Keith Gerson, Tim Johnson, Chris Fountain, FranConnect

As the market leader in franchise & management systems, FranConnect’s robust software suite makes franchise management easier than ever. With franchise tools to cover the entirety of the franchisee lifecycle (from sales to marketing to financial analysis, and more), FranConnect helps manage business operations so franchises can focus on what they do best—growing their brands. Striving to provide topnotch support at an accessible price point, FranConnect supports over 600 franchise brands globally.

One of the most powerful technological influencers in the franchise industry, FranConnect has excelled in streamlining the wealth of technology at franchises’ avail. Chris Fountain (CEO), Keith Gerson, CFE (President & CCO) and Tim Johnson (President of Brand Growth) went from reigning industry leaders to the key players in FranConnect’s thriving outfit. While the frontier of franchise management systems is constantly evolving, FranConnect’s success is constant.

“We’re a market leader that serves the entire value chain in the franchise industry,” Fountain said. “We’re also in a position to innovate at a rapid pace.”

Hailing from fruitful technological and franchise industry backgrounds, each member of the trio brings unique insights and experiences to the table. Tim Johnson fell into franchising in the early 2000s after getting a crash course in proof of concept from a franchisor standpoint.

“What I recognized as a franchisor is that technology and franchising was a good five years behind the real world,” Johnson said.

Chris Fountain, who has accrued over 25 years in the software business, joined FranConnect through a series of acquisitions and networking opportunities. Keith Gerson, CFE, has clocked in the most hours in the franchise industry with his professional lifetime spent as both an executive level franchisor and franchisee.

In a broader scope, FranConnect seeks to bridge the communication and alignment gap between franchisor and franchisee, the most common problem that they encounter.

“The franchisees are at the mercy of the franchisor’s ability to execute, but franchisors often struggle with lack of engagement by franchisees,” Johnson said. “FranConnect hopes to act as a facilitator between the two.”

While FranConnect strives to simplify the wealth of software needed in franchisors’ arsenals, Gerson also lauds the company’s talent incubation qualities.

“I’ve always seen our technology as a means to turn good performers into great performers,” he said. “We provide the franchise-specific framework to integrate and automate many of the key opportunities that are found within the franchisees data warehouse to allow even average performers the ability to out-execute the competition.”

FranConnect’s cutting-edge technology and versatility has poised the company to rise as an industry authority. Not only has FranConnect found its own recipe for success, but Tim Johnson seems to have found the key to a prosperous franchise.

“Success is achieved through validation,” Johnson said. “Focus on your franchisees, and the success will come.”