SPEAKERS

As McDonald’s USA Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Tabassum Zalotrawala leads the US Restaurant Development team, focused on accelerating the pace of McDonald’s restaurant openings, including the real estate, construction, facilities, architecture, and strategy/analytics teams. In this role, Tabassum oversees the expansion of McDonald’s in the US and manages the 13,000 US McDonald’s restaurant portfolio. Tabassum joined McDonald’s in 2023 after four and a half years as Chief Development Officer at Chipotle Mexican Grill where she led a holistic restaurant turnaround strategy and all aspects of real estate development for the US, Canada, and Europe. At Chipotle, she also oversaw the Center of Excellence for Design and Construction to ensure restaurants reflected the appropriate brand image and provided a convenient and welcoming customer experience. Prior to Chipotle, Tabassum served as Chief Development Officer for four years at Panda Restaurant Group where she championed a fundamental shift around innovation and development to drive growth for the organization.

Bob Andersen is highly regarded as a restaurant industry leader with a successful track record in growing emerging restaurant brands. He has developed a unique and diverse perspective in all aspects of the restaurant business. His experience spans C-level and senior executive positions; to launching a restaurant start-up; to owning, developing, and operating restaurants as a multi-brand franchisee; and serving as an area developer/representative. Brands he has worked with include: Jimboy's Tacos, Sunny Street Cafe, Cowboy Chicken, Twin Peaks, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, and Boston Pizza. At The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Bob is helping the brand carve out a niche in the "fine fast casual" space. The concept currently has over 45 locations in 17 states with 280+ units in its development pipeline.

Robby Berg is the Regional Director of Operations of Genghis Grill’s Franchise Group in Arizona. He joined the Genghis Grill team in 2014, starting in the kitchen and advancing rapidly to roles including shift manager, General Manager, and now Director of Operations, where he oversees day-to-day operations. Robby's love of food has found expression in the areas of grocery store and restaurant management since 2007.

Before joining Networld Media Group as Vice President of Events, Cherryh Cansler spent several years as VP of Editorial managing the Networld’s nine B2B publications. Throughout her 20-year career as a journalist, she’s written about a variety of topics, ranging from the restaurant industry and technology to health and fitness news. Her byline has appeared in a plethora of newspapers, magazines and websites, including Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine. She also serves as the managing editor for FastCasual.com.

Margaret Carrera has been the Chief Development Officer of The Halal Guys since 2017, and previously served as Research and Development Director from 2014. In her role, Margaret oversees all business development and growth efforts for The Halal Guys, leading the charge of expansion efforts for over 100 stores in the U.S. and internationally, with additional in development. Margaret plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s long-term vision and driving its strategic growth initiatives. She manages a diverse range of critical departments, including Construction, Real Estate, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Training, Operations, and Research and Development, ensuring that every aspect of the company’s expansion is executed with precision and efficiency. Margaret’s leadership is instrumental in navigating the complexities of both domestic and international markets, allowing The Halal Guys to scale its operations while maintaining the highest standards of quality and consistency.

Mohaimina (“Mina”) Haque is a trailblazing CEO, attorney, and educator, breaking barriers as the first woman CEO of Tony Roma's in its five-decade history. As she spearheads the global restaurant chain, Mina is also actively engaged in the legal sphere, serving as the founder of the Law Office of Mohaimina Haque, PLLC, based in Washington DC, and as an Adjunct Professor of Law Practice Management at American University Washington College of Law. In her legal practice, Mina's expertise spans various areas, including corporate law, immigration law, and litigation. Mina's commitment to innovation extends to her tenure at Tony Roma's, where she is always at the forefront of testing innovative solutions for an agile and adaptable workforce. Her leadership and vision drive the chain's expansion and innovation, while her ongoing legal practice keeps her abreast of legal developments.

Shawn Lalehzarian is the Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of The Red Chickz, a Nashville Hot Chicken restaurant located in Los Angeles, California. After immigrating to the United States from Iran, Lalehzarian found his first job working at a local restaurant in San Diego washing dishes. As he progressed through his career, he was promoted to higher-up positions and eventually landed a senior management role. In his senior management position, Shawn oversaw multi-unit /multi -brand F&B operations with more than $30 Million dollars in revenue and 400 employees. He also played a key role in opening over 50 different restaurants around the nation and Canada working with brands such as Starbucks, CPK, Chili’s, Wolfgang Puck, Pei-Wei, Pinkberry, Bombay Sapphire and Ruby’s Diner just to name a few. In 2018, Shawn founded The Red Chickz, an authentic Nashville Hot Chicken restaurant. In 2022, Lalehzarian launched the franchise program for the Nashville hot chicken brand.

Joining Blaze Pizza with an impressive portfolio of over two decades in financial planning and accounting, Kevin Moran has a history of steering development teams towards outstanding performance through the alignment of fiscal goals with comprehensive strategies. Prior to his current role, Moran held the position of Vice President of Strategic Development at Focus Brands International, where he excelled in driving strategic development for the global franchisor and operator of over 6,600 restaurants. As CDO at Blaze, Moran will apply his seasoned expertise to nurture strategic alliances and accelerate the brand's global growth trajectory.

James O’Reilly is the CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Perkins Restaurant & Bakery and Huddle House. James is embarking on an aggressive growth plan, investing in people, technology, and restaurant development. Prior to Ascent Hospitality Management, James served as the President & CEO of Smokey Bones after four years as the President and CEO of Long John Silver’s, America’s leading seafood QSR brand. While at LJS James led significant business and cultural improvements, being named “Turnaround Man” by the Louisville Courier Journal and earning three consecutive “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” awards from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining LJS as CEO, James held brand leadership positions in some of America’s leading restaurant brands, including Sonic Drive-in (Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Brand Officer), and KFC US (Chief Marketing Officer). James spent many years as a marketing leader outside the U.S., as CMO of KFC Canada, Pizza Hut United Kingdom, and KFC/Pizza Hut Caribbean & Latin America.

Jake Philpotts is a leading executive with over 10 years of experience in various development and operations roles for restaurant and business management brands, including Aldi, Chick-Fil-A, and Techtronic Industries. As Vice President of Business Development & Franchise Relations at Surcheros, a growing fast casual Tex-Mex restaurant based in Alpharetta, GA, Jake is responsible for all company and franchise development activities. Jake manages the evaluation and recruitment of new franchisees, real estate selection for franchise business, franchisee construction oversight, and franchise relationship management. Jake started his role with Surcheros in 2019 as the Director of Strategy and Business Development. By October 2020, he quickly took over as VP of Business Development and Franchise Relations. Jake is an integral part of Surcheros and is passionate about helping others make the right decisions when starting a franchise.

Denise Tran, a former attorney, is the founder and CEO of Bun Mee Vietnamese Sandwich Eatery, a gourmet fast casual restaurant concept with five locations in San Francisco—Pacific Heights, Financial District, SFO Terminals 1 & 3, and the Marina—and a plan to franchise nationwide. Bun Mee has been nationally recognized as a pioneer in the Asian sandwich niche making delicious banh mi sandwiches with wide crossover appeal. Launched in 2011, Bun Mee blends the street food concepts of Vietnam with Denise’s flavorful modern interpretations using fresh, local ingredients. Within months of opening Bun Mee was critically reviewed with many of their menu items landing on San Francisco’s “best” lists. In 2013, Bun Mee was named on Fast Casual Magazine’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers in the country at #28 between Panera Bread and Five Guys Burgers. Denise has also been recognized by Quick Service Magazine as one of the country’s top Wonder Women founders who are changing the game in the fast casual industry.