Pizza Fusion Appoints Jerry Woda as CFO

By: Pizza Fusion | 35 Shares 326 Reads

Pizza Fusion brings on franchise veteran, Jerry Woda, to oversee company's financials through national expansion

January 15, 2009 // Franchising.com // Fort Lauderdale, Fla., – Pizza Fusion, pioneer of the environmental and organic restaurant movements, recently announced the appointment of Jerry Woda as Chief Financial Officer. As CFO, Jerry will manage Pizza Fusion's accounting, budgeting, and tax administration.

"Jerry brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Pizza Fusion that will be instrumental as we continue to expand nationally," Mark Begelman, CEO of Pizza Fusion, explains. "His demonstrated experience with growing brands provides a seasoned approach that will be an asset to the company and our franchisees, alike."

Prior to Pizza Fusion, Jerry was the CFO of Miami Subs for 15 years, from the inception of the company through its growth to more than 200 stores. Jerry graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a B.S. in Accounting and became a Florida CPA in 1974.

Pizza Fusion is the only franchise in the world to build all their restaurants to LEED specifications and mandate third party organic restaurant certification at all their locations. Their restaurants feature a number of innovative, eco-efficient products, techniques and designs. Furthermore, Pizza Fusion delivers all their food in company owned hybrid vehicles and offsets 100 percent of their power consumption with the purchase of green-e certified renewable wind energy certificates, among many other industry leading initiatives.

"True to our culture, Jerry proudly shares our socially conscious values," Vaughan Lazar, president and co-founder of Pizza Fusion, states. "Surrounding ourselves with a values oriented team that believes in the selfless principles this company was founded upon is absolutely crucial to preserving Pizza Fusion's integrity and purpose as we continue to grow."

Pizza Fusion, which launched its franchise program in 2007, has over 75 franchise commitments in 15 states with 16 restaurants currently open nationwide. The company plans to open 15 new locations this year as it continues to branch out across the country. In 2008, Pizza Fusion was recognized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as one of the country's top ten vegan-friendly pizzerias, nominated for the second year by Co-op America as a top ten Green Business of the Year, and ranked number six in Fast Casual Magazine's Annual Top 100 Movers and Shakers list.

About Pizza Fusion

Founded in the best interest of the individual and the environment, Pizza Fusion combines a fresh, organic menu with an industry-leading environmental approach to restaurant service in chic dining destinations built to LEED certification standards. Pizza Fusion specializes in a full-service approach to gourmet pizza, ciabatta sandwiches, salads, desserts, and organic beers and wines, all in their purest form - untainted by artificial additives, such as pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. With numerous franchises opening across the U.S., Pizza Fusion is pioneering the organic and environmental restaurant movement as the most eco-friendly restaurant in America.

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