Meet your source for franchise executive talent.
Sean Falk
President and COO
Sean Falk, the President and COO at Careertopia, gets to combine his passion for business growth with his love for building strong relationships. Over the years, He’s led the charge in transforming businesses and spearheading franchise expansions, turning visions into reality and driving success across various industries.
With a background as diverse as the franchise landscape itself, He’s had the pleasure of navigating multiple organizations to multi-million-dollar growth. His journey has taken him from engineering sales to leading franchise operations, always with a focus on strategic leadership and market penetration. He prides himself on his ability to recruit, train, and mentor teams that excel and push boundaries.
Outside the boardroom, he’s a proud Marine Corps veteran and a University of Michigan alum. His dedication to the franchise community has seen him actively engage with the International Franchise Association, contributing to numerous committees and boards.
He’s thrilled to be part of Careertopia’s incredible journey, helping our clients find top-notch talent and build the teams of their dreams. Whether you’re a long-time partner or new to our network, let’s connect and create something amazing together!
Kim Falk
Chief Development Officer
Kim Falk represents the pinnacle of success in franchise, seamlessly blending her performance-driven ethos, team-oriented approach, and unwavering commitment to excellence. With a career spanning multiple industries, Kim’s diverse skill set and exceptional communication prowess have been instrumental in her remarkable journey. She has built lasting relationships with high-profile leaders and clients, consistently delivered record-breaking results and leveraged her vast knowledge of franchising, including FDD, franchise compliance, operations, and firsthand experience as a franchise owner. Her 16 years in franchise sales and development, combined with her current role as a supplier, underscore her expertise and passion for driving success in the franchise industry. Kim has consistently exceeded sales goals, demonstrating a dynamic understanding of what it takes to build great brands and fulfill critical roles. As the Chief Development Officer at Careertopia Executive Search, Kim leads executive searches with precision, specializing in identifying top-tier talent for franchise brands across diverse sectors.
Scott Lehr
Managing Partner
Scott has served the franchise community for many years in numerous positions with the International Franchise Association related to membership, marketing, advertising, international and conferences. In his most recent role as Executive Vice President, Development, Marketing & Conferences, he was responsible for the recruitment and retention of franchisor, franchisee, and supplier members of the IFA. He also oversaw the Membership, Advertising, Marketing, Conferences, and International departments of the IFA.
Scott is a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and graduated from the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Institute of Organizational Management (IOM).
Gary Gardner
Partner
Gary is Chairman and Co-Founder of Franchise Update Media, a multi-media company that delivers unmatched reach and scale across multiple platforms. Since 1988, Gary and his wife and partner Therese Thilgen, have influenced and motivated the largest audience of franchise professionals through their content, magazines, and conferences. He has extensive strategic and tactical experience in franchise development, sales, marketing, and media. Under his tenure, he has been directly involved in the development of several franchise development and educational products including Franchise Update Magazine, Multi-Unit Franchising Magazine, Franchise Leadership & Development Conference, Franchise Consumer Marketing Conference, Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, European Master & Multi-Unit Conference, Franchising.com and several digital newsletters.
Tom Portesy
Partner
Tom is a principal of Business Show Media, which produces a number of events including The International Franchise Show in London, as well as the Business Shows taking place in London, Los Angeles, Miami and Singapore. Prior to that, Tom served as President and CEO of MFV Expositions for over 20 years. During his time at MFV Expositions, he oversaw and adapted to the ever-changing marketplace. Tom remains exceptionally active in the franchise industry and is a Board Member of the International Franchise Association.
During his career, Tom was also responsible for events in several other industries, as well as managing a global network of partners. Tom has participated as a panelist and moderator in countless educational seminars and symposia. Prior to joining MFV Expositions, Tom owned an advertising and PR firm and was a founder and Group Vice President of an instant printing franchise.
