Speakers

Martin Amschler, VP, Franchise, RadioShack Corporation

Martin Amschler joined RadioShack Corporation in November 2009 to serve as Vice President of Franchise, where he is responsible for all facets of licensing and franchising for RadioShack’s global network of 1,220 dealer franchises, including 36 located outside of North America. This network of franchises provides name-brand and private-brand products and services, typically in smaller communities.

From October 2008 to November 2009 Mr. Amschler served as NexCen Management’s Chief Development Officer. Mr. Amschler was responsible for the continued development of a worldwide network of franchise brands for NexCen Brands, Inc. (NEXC), based in Norcross, Ga. Previously, Mr. Amschler has served as principal and Executive Vice President of global franchise for The Athlete's Foot, which was acquired by NexCen Brands in 2006. For The Athlete’s Foot, he was responsible for developing master franchise agreements, negotiating the sale of territories and all U.S. development.

Mr. Amschler is a member of the Georgia Retail Association, the World Trade Association, The Two Ten Foundation and the International Franchise Association. An avid tennis player, he is a member of the United States Tennis Association and the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association.



Melissa Berheim, General Counsel, Smoothie King Franchises, Inc.

Melissa L. Bernheim was named General Counsel of Smoothie King Franchises, Inc. in April 2010. As General Counsel, Melissa oversees all of Smoothie King’s™ legal affairs both in the United States and around the world.

From October 2006 through March 2010, Melissa was an associate with Zarco, Einhorn, Salkowski

Brito, P.A., a prominent Miami franchise law firm where she gained wide-ranging experience in all aspects of franchise law. While at the firm, Melissa counseled numerous franchisees and area developers, in both large group and individual actions. Melissa spearheaded the firm’s participation in Franchise Expo South and co-authored presentations for franchisees in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Melissa currently serves as the co-chair of the South Florida division of the International Franchise Association’s Women in Franchising Committee.

Melissa was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned her undergraduate degree at Emory University in 1999 with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Art History. Then, in 2002, Melissa earned her Juris Doctorate from the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington D.C., where she was a Marshall-Brennan Fellow and a member of the American University International Law Review.

William Edwards, CFE, CEO, Edwards Global Associates, USA

 An Executive with 38 years of international operations, development, executive and entrepreneurial experience, Mr. Edwards has lived in China, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey and the USA.

He has directed projects on-site in Alaska, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Near East and worked on projects in over 60 countries. Mr. Edwards has experience in the oil and gas, information technology, management consulting and licensing sectors.

“To his many Clients who are going global, Bill ‘oversees overseas’ ”, Franchise Times, June/July 2009.

Since EGS was founded in 2001, Mr. Edwards has advised more than 50 US companies in the licensing, manufacturing, retail and restaurant sectors on their international development in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Middle East.

From 1990-2001, Mr. Edwards worked with the AlphaGraphics, Inc. global digital print group as the company’s master licensee in China and Eastern Europe and also as the company’s USA-based Senior International Executive growing the company’s global network from 4 to 24 countries.

Prior to his licensing and consulting career, Mr. Edwards had a 20-year oil and gas sector career with Atlantic Richfield and Ashland Oil while living in China, Iran, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Turkey and the US. He was involved in oil and gas exploration in Alaska and Indonesia as well as directing Atlantic Richfield’s exploration program inside China and establishing the company’s subsidiary in Turkey. Subsequently, Mr. Edwards founded an international oil and gas company and served as Senior International Development Advisor for Ashland Oil.

A Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), Mr. Edwards is a Member of the ICFE Board of Governors of the International Franchise Association and a member of the IFA Supplier Forum. He is an Instructor on international licensing for the ICFE program. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the International Institute of Franchise Education at NOVA Southeastern University and a Member of the Board of Directors of IBS, an Istanbul-based market research group.

He speaks and lectures around the world on taking businesses international and doing business in emerging markets at such venues as the University of California, Irvine, the Young Entrepreneurs Organization, The American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird), Pepperdine University, Nova Southeastern University, the Franchise Council of Australia, The International Franchise Association and the World SME Expo in Hong Kong.

Since 2001, Mr. Edwards has published the GlobalVue™ country-ranking tool quarterly to help companies decide which are the best countries for the profitable development of their business.



Douglas Foo, CEO, Sakae Holdings Ltd

Sakae Sushi, a flagship brand of Sakae Holdings Ltd (formerly known as Apex-Pal International Ltd), is the brainchild of Mr Douglas Foo. At a time when people had to pay top dollar for Japanese food, Douglas, who also loves the healthy Asian cuisine, saw a gap for good quality and affordable Japanese food. So, he decided to venture into the food and beverage business even though he had no prior experience in running an F&B business.

Armed with his vision of building Sakae Sushi into a global brand, he opened his first outlet in OUB Plaza, in the midst of the Asian Financial Crisis. At a time when many saw nothing but doom and gloom, Douglas saw opportunities. And he has never looked back since.

Within a decade, Douglas grew Sakae Sushi from one outlet in Singapore to about 90 outlets in seven countries covering 9 cities including Singapore, Jakarta, Chiangmai, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Selangor, Manila, and Ho Chi Minh City. Indeed, the brand has transcended all barriers and is at the start of a marathon as it races on a long journey to become the Starbucks of sushi. From one flagship brand, the Group now manages over 90 restaurants including 10 other brands including Sakae Teppanyaki, Sakae Izakaya, Sakae Delivery, Hei Sushi, Hibiki, Senjyu, The Pasta Shop, Crepes & Cream and Nouvelle Events.

Needless to say, these achievements did not happen overnight as Apex-Pal faced many challenges including intense competition, manpower constraints and escalating costs just to name a few. That’s not all. There were also major external threats such as the Financial Crisis, SARS, Bali bombing, 9-11 which affected the tourism sector and economy severely. Not one to give up easily, Douglas and his team persevered and weathered these forces. They went on to refine and build a proven business model which has contributed to its success.

Its commitment to excellence has paid off with the Group bagging more than 30 awards and accolades over the years. These include the CitiBusiness-SPBA Regional Brand Award 2006, Singapore Service Class 2004 and Singapore Innovation Award 2003 (Innovation of the Year) for its portable conveyor belt.

Douglas has also been conferred awards such as the Singapore Youth Award 2008 – Medal of Commendation, International Management Award 2007, the Singapore Youth Award 2003 and the Entrepreneur of the Year 2002 by the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) amongst many others.

Moving forward, Sakae Holdings Ltd will continue to be a young, dynamic and innovative solutions provider, constantly breaking new grounds to offer quality and healthy food catering to the varied needs of its customers.

Ms Imeelia Ismail received her Bachelor’s degree in Arts, majoring in English Language and Mathematics, from the National University of Singapore; and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Australia.

Armed with a passion for teaching and great love for children, she began her career in the field of Early Childhood Education in 2003, when she joined Learning Vision International as a preschool educator. She later joined Learning Horizon Pte Ltd as an English Speech and Drama trainer for preschool children. Through the years since her entrance into the field of Early Childhood Education, Ms Imeelia has conducted training workshops and sharing sessions with other preschool educators.

With the knowledge and experience she has garnered over the years, she then took on the professional challenge of training prospective educators. Lecturing for close to two years, Ms Imeelia taught a variety of modules for the certificate and diploma programmes. She specializes in the areas of Language and Literacy as well as Music & Movement, and also feels very keenly towards mentoring and supervising students on practicum attachment.

Apart from the Early Childhood training programmes in Singapore, Ms Imeelia also lectured for the Diploma in Preschool Education programme in Dalian, China. Besides lecturing, Ms Imeelia had also been invited to host a radio programme on Radio Singapore International to provide child development tips to listeners; as well as parenting and career talks.

Ms Imeelia first joined Cherie Hearts as Vice President, President’s Office, where she worked closely with the Group President on launching new corporate projects and initiatives. She then moved to take on the position of Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, where she was responsible for all corporate communications of the Group. Subsequently, Ms Imeelia was re-deployed as Senior Vice President for Business Development, responsible for marketing of the Group.

Currently Ms Imeelia is the Chief Operating Officer of First Learning & Training Centre, overseeing the daily operations of the well-established training arm of Cherie Hearts Group.



Albert Kong, CFE, CEO, Asiawide Franchise Consultants Pte Ltd 

Albert Kong is the Chairman/CEO of Asiawide Franchise Consultants Pte Ltd, Asiawide Business Consultants Pte Ltd and Asiawide Trends Pte Ltd. The consulting business has been operating in Singapore since 1989 albeit under a different name before 1993. Under Albert’s leadership, the company has helped more than 500 companies in many parts of Asia to develop their business concepts and expand their businesses via franchising. Albert is amongst the first handful of Asians to be awarded by the International Franchise Association (IFA) the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) title. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Practicing Management Consultant (PMC) and is an active council member at the Institute of Management Consultants, Singapore (www.imcsingapore.org.) Albert also serves as Honorary Secretary of ISCOS (www.iscos.org.sg) which helps ex-prisoners adapt to their new leash of life outside the prisons. He has also served as an Executive Council member of FLA (www.flasingapore.org) since 1993. Albert was a member of the government-led Franchise Services Advisory Committee at the Trade Development Board 1993 – 1997.

In recognition of his expertise, he has been invited to speak at franchise seminars in more than 30 nations in over 100 occasions. His brainchild Asia Franchise & Business Opportunities (AFBO) was launched on 28th March 1994. He was awarded by the CCFA in 2008 for contributing to the growth of franchising in China. He has contributed to many franchise magazines and is also the co-author of Developing and Managing a Franchise (LexusNexus).

Bret Lowell, CFE, Partner, DLA Piper, USA

Bret Lowell is an internationally recognized leader in franchise and distribution law and has counseled and represented clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including restaurants and food service, car rental, hotel and motel, health care, financial services, high tech, real estate, and retail.

Mr. Lowell's experience includes extensive analysis as to whether arrangements constitute "franchises"; drafting and negotiating domestic and international franchise, distribution, and license agreements; preparation and filing of disclosure documents; counsel and advice regarding the establishment and operation of franchise and distribution systems; counsel and advice regarding termination, transfer, and renewal obligations; dispute resolution, including representation before federal and state government agencies; mediation; due diligence reviews and document preparation in connection with public offerings, mergers, and acquisitions; and trademark and other intellectual property matters.

Mr. Lowell writes and speaks extensively on franchise-related topics in a variety of forums. He has been listed in The International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers, in The Best Lawyers in America; and in Who's Who in America. Washingtonian magazine has named him one of the Best Lawyers in Washington. Mr. Lowell was also listed in the 2005 Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and named both a Virginia Super Lawyer and a Washington, DC Super Lawyer. Franchise Times has named him to its list of “Legal Eagles,” the top 101 franchise lawyers in the US and Canada. The respected English research firm Chambers and Partners recognizes him in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, calling him "a superb transactional lawyer" and "an expert counselor."

Ned Lyerly, Chairman, Senior Vice President, Global Franchise Development, CKE Restaurants, Inc., USA

Ned Lyerly was named Senior Vice President of Global Franchise Development in August 2006.  Lyerly’s duties expand on his role as Senior Vice President of the Company’s international division, as he currently oversees franchise development for the Carl’s Jr., and Hardee’s brands in the United States and around the world.

Previous Positions:  Vice President International (CKE Restaurants, Inc.), Director - International Finance and Marketing (Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc), Director – International Finance (Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc.), Director – Domestic Finance (Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc.), Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis (Imasco USA, Inc. / Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc.)

Professional Summary: Franchise professional specializing in the restaurant industry’s quick service restaurant segment.  Key strengths include franchise system development, international, and a multifunctional knowledge base that includes executive management, franchise operations, marketing, development, franchise sales and finance.  

Professional Designations:  Chairman – IFA’s International Committee, Member IFA Global Marketing Task Force, Former Chairman of the Board – Carl’s Jr. Asian Development Corporation, Former Board Member – Carl’s Jr. Asian Development Corporation.

Education:  Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

John Ong, Managing Director and Principal Consultant, FT Consulting Pte Ltd, Singapore

In addition to being FT Consulting’s Managing Director and Principal Consultant, John is also the Managing Director of Ya Kun International, a food service franchise and a sister company of FT Consulting. Today, through a combination of direct ownership and franchising, Ya Kun operates more than 50 outlets in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines. John is also serving as an Executive Committee Member of the Franchising and Licensing Association (FLA) Singapore. In addition to being the Chief Trainer for FLA's Fundamentals of Franchise Management course, John is a lecturer for Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Specialist Diploma on Franchise Management.

On the branding front, John was involved in the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA) 2007 as a member of the Organizing Committee. Being the Managing Director of Ya Kun International, he was personally involved in crafting the Brand Strategy, setting the Brand Positioning, and ensuring the Brand Promise would be delivered throughout the organization. Ya Kun won the Superbrands Award in 2004/2005 and the SPBA Heritage Brand Award in 2005. Because of John’s good grasps of business fundamentals, brand development issues and intellectual assets exploitation, he is able to offer a unique and holistic approach towards branding that can yield long-lasting positive results for any organisation.



Winston Tang, Regional Executive, V-Kool International

Winston plays a pivotal role in managing and developing the V-KOOL® franchise namely in the South East Asia and Latin American regions. Since joining V-KOOL® in 2008 as a Regional Executive, he has been actively involved in developing new training programs on product knowledge, sales and marketing and franchise development strategies. Winston holds a Bachelor degree in Business Management and Diploma in Electrical Engineering.






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