FranConnect President Keith Gerson Appointed to Titus Center for Franchising’s Advisory Board
Keith Gerson, President and Chief Customer Advocate for FranConnect, has been appointed to the newly formed Board of Advisors for the Titus Center for Franchising. This center of excellence is run out of Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida, and is focused on awarding driven students with a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in franchising.
Appointing Gerson to the Titus Center for Franchising’s Advisory Board is a positive move for the organization given his extensive experience in the franchising industry. He brings over 40 years of executive-level expertise to the table, both as a franchisor and franchisee. Gerson boasts a proven track record in building rapid growth as well as highly profitable franchise organizations. For the past six years, Gerson has also paved the way for brand growth and innovation at FranConnect, where he has worked closely with a variety of executive boards and leadership teams that are part of FranConnect’s portfolio of over 700 brands and 140,000-plus franchisee locations.
“Keith Gerson’s vision for franchise development is much appreciated at the Titus Center for Franchising, and we’re thrilled that he’s part of our Advisory Board,” said Dr. John Hayes, Titus Chair for Franchise Leadership and Director of the Titus Center for Franchising, on Gerson’s appointment. “We want to tap into his knowledge and guidance and give him the opportunity to network with our board members as well as Friends of the Titus Center. It’s because of people like Keith that we will be in a better position to educate future generations of franchisors and franchisees.”
While serving on the Titus Center for Franchising’s Advisory Board, Gerson will be contributing content, ideas, tools and resources to help the Center become the leading choice for franchise education internationally. He will also work with other Board of Advisory members to evaluate the Center’s programs and provide expert insights designed to better the program. Ultimately, Gerson will be working alongside the Center to help it realize its operational mission.
“I am thrilled to be a member of the Titus Center for Franchising’s Advisory Board and help educate the next generation of franchising leaders,” said Keith Gerson. “To be a member of the team John has amassed is truly humbling and I look forward to contributing my own experiences as well as offer key insight FranConnect has perfected on franchisor and franchisee best practices.”
The mission for the Titus Center for Franchising is to educate students and business professionals so that they can use franchising as a vehicle to better their lives as business owners, ultimately boosting the business model’s presence worldwide. In addition to a business degree with a focus in franchising, the Center also offers certificate programs for both students and active members of the franchising industry that cover a wide variety of topics, including how to buy a franchise, how to franchise a business, franchise field support and mastering franchisee development. The Center also offers a franchise internship program in addition to job shadowing opportunities at the franchise world headquarters of United Franchise Group.
The Titus Center for Franchising’s mission is already being realized. In its first semester of operation in the fall of 2017, 15 of the 17 students said they plan to buy a franchise, with two saying they plan to become franchisors. That success is also continuing as the program welcomes more students.
Dr. Hayes said, "In our first year of operation, the Titus Center attracted some 40 students who are studying franchising. We think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Younger generations today look at a job as Plan B—their Plan A is to own their own business and they’re discovering that franchising gives them countless opportunities."