CORPORATE TEAM

Scott Abbott, Chairman & CEO. As CEO, Scott focuses on the development of technology, products, services and partnerships that enable each client to be a leader in their industry. Scott led Five Star Painting from having only 1 franchise in August of 2005 to over 50 franchises in 2008. Under his leadership, Five Star Franchising has received numerous franchise and business awards, was named among the top 25 fastest growing companies under 5 years old in Utah, and ranked in the top 15 franchising companies by the Franchise Business Review for systems under 50 franchises. Scott earned a Master of Business Administration from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Manitoba. Scott has been recognized personally with several awards for his entrepreneurship, including Innovator of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year while in Canada. Scott’s blog can be found at www.dscottabbott.com.

Chad Jones, VP Sales and Franchise Development. As VP of Sales and franchise development, Chad focuses his efforts on delivering results. Franchise unit sales are one of the best metrics of success in the franchising world, and he has proven his ability to close as Five Star brands continue to see success. Chad uses technology to deliver a steady flow of lead volume and consistently leads his team in surpassing benchmarks in franchise sales. His background has been and continues in franchising both as a franchisee running corporate locations and as a franchisor developing a brand that is recognized across North America. Jones has started and operated his own companies since 2000; this entrepreneurism ties the franchise sales process to the potential of the investment. Chad has successfully demonstrated the ability to negotiate and structure single unit and master franchise deals even in a recessionary market. He has many close connections to franchise broker networks and key consultants in the industry. Read more about Chad on his blog at www.chadrjones.com.

Conrad Kolba, COO. Conrad is one of the original founders of Five Star Painting. He has a strong background in franchise support and training and is leading Five Star Painting to regular year over year growth even in recessionary environments. Through his responsibilities for all systems and processes that Five Star franchisees use on a daily basis, he has been able to obtain a leading status in franchisee relations as measured by Franchise Business Review. Conrad understands that technology is a vital part of business development, so he consistently manages and improves proprietary software that allows Five Star franchisees to excel above all competitors. He is a thorough master of starting and operating small businesses as he has started and run various types of businesses since the age of thirteen. Conrad credits his success to his attributes of entrepreneurism, problem solving, and efficient processes. Conrad keeps a blog at www.conradkolba.com.

Tyler Woodhouse, VP Marketing. Tyler ensures that each Five Star brand is well positioned for success and each franchisee is supported with the marketing support needed to grow their business. Tyler received his Masters of Business Administration degree and Bachelors of Communications degree from Brigham Young University. He served as Director of Marketing for Digital Gateway, VP of Marketing for Opinionology, and President of Whitespace Marketing. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise concerning how to effectively use corporate identity, advertising, public relations, direct mail, e-mail, website development, social media, promotional materials, and other marketing elements to drive business growth.

Adam Gilpatrick, CFO. Adam focuses on providing financial leadership to Five Star Franchising and all of the Five Star franchisees. By maintaining extensive financial reporting, modeling and business acumen, he positions all Five Star brands and franchisees for continued growth and profitability. Adam originally joined the company as a Five Star Painting franchisee in Raleigh, NC. After building a thriving painting company, he was brought on as CFO so he could share his experience and expertise with all of Five Star Franchise’s brands. Adam received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University and spent twelve years working in accounting and financing in technology and government contracting.

Thomas E Hodgson, VP Franchise Sales. Tom recruits dedicated, talented entrepreneurs as franchisees for Five Star Painting and Five Star Holiday Decor. He and his team interact with people interested in investing in a franchise, educating them about the brands through Discovery Days, and guiding them through the purchasing process. Tom founded and operated his own painting franchise, Color World Housepainting Inc., for twenty years before merging it with Five Star Painting. This partnership has made Five Star Painting one of the biggest painting companies in North America. Tom was also a key member in the creation of Five Star Holiday Decor.

Ryan Kibbins, Chief Technology Officer. Ryan is responsible for the development of proprietary, multilingual-capable software for Five Star Franchising, covering areas such as franchise sales, operations management, and content management. Ryan received his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Manitoba, where he majored in Computer Science. He went on to found a software company in 2000, which specialized in the development of commercial web-based content management and database management systems for the education, government, and small business markets. He brings that software and experience to Five Star Franchising by developing its software solutions to help keep up with the increasing demands of its franchise concepts, franchisees, and their customers.