Focus Brands Gets New Franchise Team

By: Carvel | 2 Shares 304 Reads

(Monday, November 20, 2006) - Focus Brands Names Gary Bales as President of Carvel Ice Cream, Geoff Hill as President of Cinnabon, Lenore Krentz as Chief Administrative Officer, and Jean Boland as Vice President of Human Resources and Leadership Development

Worldwide franchisor organizational structure now brand-specific; other promotions include Jim Salerno, Richard Key, Randy Mercer, Jeff Conway, Hilliard Creath, and Don Offord -

FOCUS Brands, the franchisor and operator of nearly 1,400 ice cream stores, bakeries, and cafes under the brand names Carvel, Cinnabon, and Seattle's Best Coffee International, announced today a new brand-specific organization that names Gary Bales as president of Carvel, Geoff Hill as president of Cinnabon, Lenore Krentz as chief administrative officer, and Jean Boland as vice president of human resources and leadership development.

A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Gary Bales joined Carvel in 2002 from TCBY, a division of Mrs. Fields Famous Brands, where he was vice president of operations, responsible for over 2,000 locations. During his tenure at Carvel, Gary was a key player in the 2003 new store prototype development, yearly ROI (Refresh Our Image) programs, multiple dynamic marketing/advertising campaigns, and numerous new menu developments.

Prior to Mrs. Fields, Gary owned and operated 21 franchise Zuka Juice smoothie locations. He has served in various roles, including executive vice president of marketing and new concept development for the Summit Family Restaurant Group, as well as roles with Ponderosa and Bob's Big Boy.

Joining Carvel in 2002 as vice president of franchise sales, Geoff Hill assumed responsibility for Cinnabon operations earlier this year. A graduate of Cornell's Hotel Management Program, he spent multiple years in operations with the Bristol Hotel Company (formerly Harvey Hotels), one of the largest and most respected hotel operators in the US, and became the youngest general manager in the history of the company.

Throughout his tenure at Carvel and FOCUS Brands, Geoff has been instrumental in growing the brands to their highest year-over-year levels in many years, and has continuously taken on more responsibilities beyond franchise sales, including real estate, design & construction, franchise administration, and operations.

A 20-year veteran of Cinnabon, Lenore brings an intimate knowledge of finance, IT and general business experience, and has been an integral part of the integration since the Cinnabon purchase by FOCUS Brands in November 2004. As chief administrative officer, Lenore will oversee the bulk of FOCUS Brands' shared services, including finance, legal, supply chain, and IT.

In her new role, Jean Boland will spearhead FOCUS Brands initiatives to provide leadership development programs, greater associate benefits, an enriching work environment, and associate training and enrichment initiatives. She previously served as director of human resources and training for FOCUS Brands, and prior to the 2004 acquisition, for Cinnabon, where she created and implemented numerous training and development programs. She was previously manager of training for RARE Hospitality International.

Other promotions include Jim Salerno as regional vice president of Carvel veteran franchise operations, Richard Key as regional vice president of Carvel new store franchise operations, Randy Mercer as senior director of international operations, Jeff Conway as director of training, Hillard Creath as director of R&D, and Don Offord as franchise consultant for co-brands.

FOCUS Brands Inc. is the franchisor and operator of nearly 1,400 ice cream stores, bakeries, and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 31 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel(R), Cinnabon(R), and the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee(R) on military bases, and in certain international markets.