Launch Your Franchise Competition: Meet the Judges

With just weeks away until the inaugural Launch Your Franchise winner is announced, it's time to meet the judges.

For more than 35 years, DCS Franchising has helped develop Australian and Global franchises. We are grateful for the Judges commitment to assess the entries and we acknowledge that their collective expertise and experience are invaluable to select the most deserving award winners.

Meet the Judges:

Rod Young - Chair of Judging Panel

Rod is the Founder and Chairman of the DC Strategy Group, the regions premier franchise consulting and legal firm. With 40 years of experience, Rod is considered one of the world's foremost franchising

Amber Manning - Panel Judge

Amber Manning is the driving force behind the Just Cuts brand internationally. She is an experienced and dynamic General Manager with an extensive career in franchising, not for profit and financial services. In 2019 Amber was named number 10 in the Top 30 Franchise Executive awards and, is recognised internationally as a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE).

John O'Brien - Panel Judge

CEO & founder of Poolwerx Corporation. John is an inductee into the FCA Hall of Fame, past Chair of the World, Asia Pacific and Australian Franchise Councils and is a founding member of the Australian Federal Government’s (ACCC) franchise advisory group, currently bringing order and accountability to the sector as a whole.

Sarah Stowe - Panel Judge

Sarah Stowe is the editor for the Inside Franchise Business group at Octomedia, leading the online and print publications and launching the Top 30 Franchise Executive Report in 2018. Sarah is a hands-on journalist who has worked in B2B and consumer media in the UK and Australia, and has been involved in the franchise sector for 13 years.

Matt Fickling - Panel Judge

Chief Commercial Officer at Motto Motto, leaders in Japanese QSR and previously CEO at Huxtaburger. Matt is crazy about creating enterprise value through people. Getting the structure right, putting in plans to grow revenue, lower costs and improve profitability by finding, servicing and retaining more customers.

Brendan Green - Panel Judge

Brendan Green has been the CEO of Australia's largest handyman business, Hire A Hubby, for 20 years and is the Managing Director of Franchise Cloud Solutions. Hire A Hubby provides handyman, home maintenance and tradeswork services for individuals and companies throughout Australia, New Zealand the UK.

William Edwards - Panel Judge

As CEO of Edwards Global Services, William ‘Bill’ Edwards has assisted innumerable companies to expand successfully across the world, and has shared his hard won expertise with the franchise industry as a whole. Drawing on over 40 years of international experience, Bill has worked on projects in 68 countries to date.

To find out more about the 'Launch Your Franchise' Competition, visit our website or book a call to speak to one of our expert franchise consultants.