Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders Matthew Doctor, President & CEO at Regis Corporation – A Cut Above: Rebuilding a business model, and transitioning from corporate to franchise
As a public company, moving into a fully franchised model isn't always easy. There are lots of challenges and misconceptions, but today's guest has come through all of that with flying colors.
Matthew Doctor is President, CEO, and a Board Member of Regis Corporation, which trades under the symbol R G S. Regis is the beauty industry's global leader in salons and cosmetology education, with more than 5,500 locations worldwide operating under concepts such as Supercuts®, SmartStyle® and First Choice Haircutters® to name a few. Matt joined Regis in February of 2021, as Chief Strategy Officer, before becoming President in 2022.
Previously, Matt was a partner and chief financial officer for Kava Restaurants, a Tim Horton's franchisee. Prior to Kava, he held several roles at Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King, Tim Horton's and Popeye's Brands. There, he was head of Global Development and franchisee performance of Burger King, he led M and A in Asia for Burger King, and led development efforts for Tim Horton's. Matt started his career as an investment banker for JP Morgan in New York.
On this week's episode, we sat down to talk about Matt's franchise career, and his incredible work with Regis during a really tricky period.
Highlights:
- Matt shares Regis' brand history (2:58)
- Services provided under the Regis brand umbrella (5:31)
- Franchise reach, audience, and customer profile (6:11)
- Matt's work in the franchise field, and his introduction to Regis (7:16)
- How Regis fits the 'franchise model' (10:13)
- Matt discusses his senior team's synergy (12:31)
- What Regis focused on for future profitability (14:23)
- Technology initiatives and industry innovation (17:07)
- Future goals for the franchise (18:22)
- Matt explains Regis' growth expansion plan (20:24)
- Common mistakes to avoid as a franchisor (22:45)
- Effectively communicating your business to investors (24:35)
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.