John is an award-winning C-suite executive and board member/advisor who specializes in accelerating growth of companies (ranging from emerging to legacy) in the B2C retail, restaurant, hospitality, foodservice, education, sports & entertainment, and franchising sectors. He is well known for leading partners to understand consumers, differentiate vs. competition, accelerate innovation, and find aggressive growth opportunities to maximize profits and business results.
After a multi-decade career with iconic companies including President of Denny’s, John in 2024 launched HMS Growth Partners, a strategic advisory firm partnering with multiple brands across retail, hospitality and other industries to accelerate performance. In addition to retail and restaurants, this includes a role within HMS as current President of Ivybrook Academy, a private franchised education brand now with 45 locations across the country and a quickly growing pipeline of over 100 additional schools (annual unit and revenue growth of over 32%). Having held senior C-suite roles with global brands including Denny’s, the NBA’s Houston Rockets, and Yum! Brands’ Pizza Hut, John brings a unique combination of P&L ownership and an in-depth knowledge of customer experience, digital, operations, supply chain, EBITDA growth and branding to the boardroom. In progressed leadership roles at Denny’s (including SVP Chief Marketing Officer, EVP Chief Brand Officer and ultimately President), he led the dramatic and highly accoladed rejuvenation of the iconic 1,600+ unit brand. He led similar business turnarounds during his tenure within Pizza Hut/Yum Brands and already has an impressive growth story underway at Ivybrook. His leadership lens is one with a deep track record of unifying stakeholders behind common goals to deliver breakthrough results.
In the board and advisory space, in addition to his deep experience with the Denny’s board, John serves on the Board of Baylor’s University’s Hankamer Business School, where he is currently serving asMore...
Hannah Lyon
School support specialist@GoFan
Verified
Hannah Lyon is a dynamic School Support Specialist at GoFan, where she excels in streamlining ticketing solutions for educational institutions nationwide. With over five years of experience in customer service and educational technology, Hannah is dedicated to enhancing the school event experience through innovative digital platforms. Her passion for fostering community engagement and her knack for problem-solving have been instrumental in increasing client satisfaction by 30% over the past year. Outside of her professional endeavors, Hannah is an avid runner and volunteers as a mentor for local high school students interested in technology careers.More...