A TEAM OF
DEDICATED PEOPLE |
BRAND |
OUR TEAM |
NEWS |
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Tariq Farid - CEO/President - 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year
Tariq Farid is the founder and CEO of Edible Arrangements®. Farid's entrepreneurial
experience began in the late 1980s when, with a $5,000 cash advance from his parents
he purchased a local flower shop at age 17. Within two years, Tariq was operating
four highly successful stores. His drive and determination lead him to start Edible
Arrangements® in 1999. From his experience working at a McDonald's as a teenager,
Farid knew the power of an established franchise system. The first Edible Arrangements®
franchise opened in 2001 in Waltham, Massachusetts. Just ten years later it has
grown to nearly 1,000 locations around the world. Today Farid is very active in
all aspects of the business. In 2001 he founded Netsolace, the franchise management
software company that franchisees use in their day-to-day operations, including order processing,
training manuals, production and profitability tracking, and supply chain management.
In 2008 Farid was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Franchise
Association. In 2009 Farid was named The Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Much
of Farid's success has been documented with countless interviews by major business
publications and television networks.
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Kamran Farid - COO
Kamran’s experience goes back to the first flower shop that he helped his brother,
Tariq, operate. Now as COO, Kamran is responsible for implementing the company’s
overall strategy and for carrying out Edible Arrangements® vision and mission throughout the system.
His focus and expertise lies heavily on store operations. He spent his first few
years with the company training new Edible Arrangements® store owners in the field
and in-house, and continues to work directly with franchisees, providing overall
support and guidance. His leadership in the development of each individual franchise
plays an important role in the continued growth and success of Edible Arrangements®.
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Kristy Ferguson - Chief Strategy Officer
Kristy joined the company in its infancy in 2003. Over the past several years she has lead many cross
functional teams including marketing, operations and research and development. Every day, she lives and
breathes the company’s motto: service every consumer, in every market. As Chief Strategy Officer she is
responsible for defining companywide strategy and goals and ensuring they are achieved.
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Steve Thomas – Vice President - Marketing
With over 22 years of consumer marketing experience, including past positions
at Burger King and more recently Subway, Steve Thomas brings large franchise system
experience to the Edible Arrangements® management team. While at Subway, Steve was
part of the marketing team that launched the pivotal nutritional campaign featuring
“7 Subs Under 6 Grams of Fat,” which led to years of success for the brand. In July
of 2007, Steve Thomas moved into the role of Vice President of Marketing for Edible
Arrangements®. His disciplined consumer insight-based approach to marketing efforts
proved critical as Edible Arrangements® made its national television debut in early
2008. At the helm of a talented marketing team, Steve oversees Consumer Research,
Strategic Alliances, Storefront Image, Web Development, the Customer Order Center,
Product Development, Field Marketing, Advertising Development, and Media Planning
and Execution.
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Matt Bailey - Vice President - Operations
Matt Bailey started with the company by running the franchisee training program
in 2005. He brings to Edible Arrangements® a strong background in store operations
from his past experience working within the Dairy Queen franchise system. Today
Matt is responsible for day-to-day management of the store support and training
teams for Edible Arrangements®. Matt created operational support programs for both
single-unit and multi-unit franchisees that focus on building sales,
controlling costs, and improving employee accountability. Matt’s aim is to share
with franchisees his knowledge of operational efficiency, effective store management,
and small business financial management to help them create success for themselves
as Edible Arrangements® franchise owners.
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