The Australian Franchise Hall of Fame honours the sector’s legends.
When the FCA’s Hall of Fame was created in 2003, the selection panel searched back to the origins of franchising in Australia and by meticulous process of elimination identified the ground-breakers, influencers, quiet achievers, selfless contributors and outstanding performers who endured the trials and built the foundations of the sector’s success.
Now, it is members of the Hall of Fame themselves who invite new entrants (and who better to do so). The sole criterion is an outstanding contribution to franchising – whether as franchisor, franchisee, academic, consultant, politician, financier, bureaucrat – whomever.
Each year, nominations are called for the Hall’s consideration, with new inductees (if any) announced at the FCA Gala Dinner at the conclusion of the National Franchise Convention.
Nominations for the FCA Hall of Fame will open once again in 2023. Click here for more information and to view the Hall of Fame Eligibility Criteria.
We are proud to acknowledge in outstanding contributions of all our Hall of Fame inductees, who are profiled below.
Lesley Gillespie joins husband and inaugural Hall of Fame inductee, Roger Gillespie, as a recipient of this prestigious award.
After beginning his career in the tourism and hospitality industry, by the mid-1980s, at the age of 30, Paul had an extensive background in owning and operating successful accommodation and food and beverage businesses. But his experience had also highlighted a gap in the accommodation market for the extended-stay traveller, particularly those travelling for business.
Ron Pedder has left a significant mark on the Australian business landscape across more than five decades in business. As Chairman of Pedders Suspension and Brakes, his key achievements include establishing a widespread network of Australian franchises and dealers, developing a thriving export business and championing local manufacturing.
Michael Paul founded PACK & SEND in 1993, after he personally experienced difficulties in arranging to have an unpacked Personal Computer delivered from Sydney to Melbourne. This was the inspiration for creating a convenient retail service centre that could save customers time, trouble and money for sending anything, anywhere.
With 40 years’ experience, Rod Young is considered one of the worlds’ foremost franchising consultants.
Roger Wilson is General Manager (C.E.O) of Forty Winks Franchising Pty Ltd, which has 89 franchised Stores in every state and territory of Australia – no company Stores!
Murray d’Almeida has been involved directly and indirectly in the Australian Franchise sector since 1978 and became a member of the FAANZ in its second year of inception.
Janine Allis is not your everyday self-made businesswoman. She grew her juice and smoothie empire from her kitchen bench to an international success story (Boost Juice Bars are now in 13 countries with over 400 stores).
After qualifying as a registered psychologist in 1982, Greg Nathan decided to take a different career path. He became a multi-unit franchisee with Brumby’s. After learning how to make dough as a small business operator, he joined the franchisor team in senior marketing and operations roles, contributing to many of the systems that have enabled the company to become one of Australia’s longest standing franchise brands.
A hairdresser by profession Denis McFadden is founder and CEO of Just Cuts Franchising.
Christine Taylor is the managing director and founder of Aussie Pooch Mobile. Her career began when she started an innovative dog clipping and grooming service in 1985 when she was just 16 years of age. A few years later Chris expanded this service to include mobile dog washing units travelling direct to customer’s homes. The company was launched as a single mobile dog wash unit in 1990, as demand increased the business rapidly grew.
The last twelve months have been huge for John O’Brien, founder and CEO of PoolWerx Corporation, the world’s leading swimming pool service company and Australia’s largest franchised pool retail group.
Noel Carroll co-founded the Michel’s Patisserie Franchise chain with his good mate Noel Roberts in 1998 and in the next 20 years built in into the largest specialist patisserie chain in the world with 400 franchisees throughout Australia, New Zealand and China.
Over the last 30 years John Brown has dedicated himself to direct and effective involvement in the franchising industry. He has worked at all possible levels of franchise management and across numerous kinds of businesses.
Stephen Giles is a partner with Deacons/Norton Rose. He has been a member of the Franchise Council of Australia almost since its inception, was founding secretary and is a former President of the Victorian Chapter, served as chairman of the FCA in 1998 and from 2000 – 2007, and has been a national director of the FCA since 1997, handling the portfolio of Industry Regulation and Government Relations. He has been officially recognized for Outstanding Contribution to Franchising three times nationally and twice in Victoria by the Franchise Council of Australia, and currently serves as Chair of FCA Ethics Committee and Chair of FCA Legal Committee. He has represented the FCA in negotiations with the Australian Government on the regulatory framework for the sector over the past 12 years, preparing the numerous industry submissions on regulatory matters. He also championed the FCA’s involvement in the successful High Court appeal in Ketchell’s case.
Russell Withers is a founding member and director of the Franchisors Association of Australia and a former Chairman of the FAA.
The first Fernwood club opened in 1989, using Franchising as her preferred method of expansion, the group has grown to 67 clubs, nationally and master franchises in South Africa and New Zealand. Diana has been the recipient of many awards, and is a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year, Telstra Business Womens Awards and FCA Awards 2005. Diana was inducted into the Franchising Hall of Fame and appointed as a Director to the Franchise Council of Australia’s Board in October 2007.
Amos began his own independant automotive retailer in 1970. Years later he decided that in order to challenge the larger retail chains, he would need to join forces with other independant retailers.
Geoff is a co-founding shareholder and has been a Director of Wendy’s, since 1979.
Bryce Bell was the Founder of the Franchisors Association of Australia (now FCA) in 1983 and of the Auckland, NZ Chapter six years later. He served as Executive Director until 1994 and during his tenure he was one of three FAA Nominees to serve on the Federal Government Franchising Task Force, represented Australian Franchising on the World Franchising Council Steering Committee in 1992 and initiated the First Asian Franchising Conference and Exhibition in Singapore
Evan Christou’s involvement in franchising is now the subject of Pizza Haven’s television commercials. With his brothers he built from scratch the Pizza Haven network, which commenced in 1984 and now has 230 stores across Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. In doing so Pizza Haven has been able to take on the major international brands, and withstand some of the most aggressive discounting seen in Australia.
Jack Cowin is Australia’s most successful fast food entrepreneur. He built the Hungry Jacks network in Australia to 300 stores, developing a distinctive business format and tackling some major international brands along the way.
Roger Gillespie has built the Bakers Delight network into one of Australia’s premier homegrown franchise systems. Bakers Delight is market leader in its field, and has withstood substantial challenges from the major supermarket chains to build a network of over 700 franchisees.
Bob Jane is founder and managing director of Bob Jane T Marts.
Ray King built Captain Snooze into one of Australia’s best-known brands, and was one of the pioneers of franchising in Australia.
Bob Lapointe has had almost a lifetime involvement in franchising. His introduction to franchising was in the early 1960’s in Toronto, where he met Colonel Sanders and became a franchisee of KFC in his hometown of Windsor, Ontario at the age of 21. He built 8 KFC stores there and later sold them to Scots Restaurants.
Chris Levy was the founding president of the Franchise Association of Australia, and one of the pioneers of franchising in Australia.
Chris Malcolm has been active in franchising for over 15 years. His first involvement was with Solomon’s carpets, but in more recent times he has taken the dormant Clark Rubber brand and reinvented it as a vibrant modern retail network. The same leadership he has shown in this endeavour was shown during his 2-year chairmanship of the Franchise Council of Australia during the mid 1990s. Chris guided the Association through a restructuring process that resulted in a reinvigorated organisation with a national focus but a local heartbeat.
Jim McCracken’s contribution to franchising will be well known to most, and has been so substantial that the Victorian Outstanding Contribution to Franchising Award is called the Jim McCracken Award.
Bill McGowan has taken the Fastway Couriers system to the world, with Fastway currently franchised in 15 countries; New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Morocco, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Stephen Penfold has been responsible for the introduction of three franchise systems into Australia. Kwik Kopy Australia was a founding member of the then Franchisors Association of Australia, and Stephen worked tirelessly as a director of the Association.
Tom Potter established the Eagle Boys Pizza system in Queensland, and built it to a major chain of 170 stores across Australia and NZ before selling his NZ business to Pizza Hut.
Len Poulter founded Lenard’s Poultry in Brisbane in 1987, identifying a niche market for value-added chicken products. The Lenards network has grown to more than 180 successful franchises throughout Australia serving over 10 million customers a year.
Peter Ritchie is a former chairman and chief executive officer of McDonalds Australia. Under his management McDonalds Australia has grown to be the benchmark for successful franchise systems in Australia. The focus and skill he brought to the Australian business saw McDonalds Australia consistently rated within the McDonalds global network as the best in category across most if not all criteria such that McDonalds Australia was the internal benchmark with McDonalds globally.
The late Warwick Shedden was one of the franchising communities most loved members. Co-founder of the Oz Design network, Warwick served for several years on the board of the Franchise Council of Australia. He was active in the regulatory debate, and served on the Franchising Code Administration Council established by the Government in around 1995.
Professor Andrew Terry is Australia’s leading franchise academic. He has published over 100 articles on franchising in journals and magazines throughout the world, and is co-author of several books including Franchising Law and practice. In 2001 he was awarded the International Franchise Associations Award for the best-published article on franchising in the world.
The late Paddy Thompson was born and educated in Ireland, and migrated to Australia in 1965 after a distinguished career in the British Colonial Service.
Bill Vis is one of the pioneers of home services franchising in Australia. Bill Vis established the VIP Lawn Mowing concept in 1972 and was the first person to franchise lawn mowing in Australia.