WOMEN AT
24
THE TOP
Introducing Franchising’s
Leading Women Executives
W
hen we decided to publish a special issue on
Women at the Top in franchising, we had no
idea what we were in for. From a production standpoint, we opened a can of worms—at least in the
amount of organization and detail to manage. From
a business and personal viewpoint, we struck gold.
These are 24 amazing women, 24 outstanding human
beings, and we’re both humbled and proud to have
their participation in this inaugural
women’s issue.
We can trumpet the numbers, their
achievements, accomplishments, and
responsibilities. More than 17,000 units
under their wings. Annual systemwide revenues of more than $16 billion and plans to add $5 billion more
in the next 5 years. An average of 18
years with their companies. Awards?
Community involvement? Charitable
giving? We have only one page.
We can lament the dismally low
percentages of women in the C-suite,
the barriers and biases they had to
overcome to get there, or how women
are judged (and paid) differently than
men in equivalent positions. A 2013 report by Catalyst of women in business showed that women held
just 14.6 percent of executive officer positions, about
the same as the year before; and that 25 percent of
companies had no women executive officers. Yet this
same annual study continues to find that companies
with women on their boards have a higher ROI than
companies that don’t.
Instead, we chose to let these 24 remarkable women
tell their own stories—in brief, to be sure, but it’s a
start, one we hope opens some eyes, inspires others,
and accelerates change. In addition to the “basics”
(revenue, units), we asked what life experiences have
shaped them on their journey to leadership positions.
What books and which business gurus have deeply
affected them on that journey (see page 11 for a collected list). Female leaders they admire (not surprisingly, several named one another).
We asked them about their mentors and their own
role as mentors today. And for any advice they might
have for young women looking for a way to the top.
Here’s a quick “ABC” sampling of that advice:
• Abell, Jane Grote, Chairwoman, Donato’s Pizza:
“Stay true to who you are. Your values and principles
are always the engines that drive your performance.”
• Bergeron, Melanie, Chair of the Board, Two
Men and a Truck: “Franchising is a
relationship business—book smart
is good, people smart is essential.
People don’t forget how you treated
the