KFC's First Female COO Monica Rothgery to Keynote FBR Franchise Operations Summit

Franchise Business Review’s 2026 Summit will be held October 28-30, 2026 in Austin, TX

PORTSMOUTH, NH, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Franchise Business Review (FBR) is pleased to announce the keynote speaker for the 2026 FBR Summit, happening October 28-30, 2026 in Austin, TX. Now in its fifth year, the Summit brings together franchise operations executives, franchise business coaches, franchise HR leaders, and franchise operations teams that directly support franchisees for three days of interactive learning. The event is open to all franchise brands, whether or not they currently work with FBR.

This year’s keynote, Monica Rothgery, is a trailblazing leader who began her career as a restaurant manager for Taco Bell and rose to become the first woman to serve as Chief Operations Officer for KFC in the United States. She was also the first LGBTQ leader promoted to the C-Suite at Yum! Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. A sought-after speaker, Monica uses the power of story to entertain and empower leaders around the world. She is also the author of the forthcoming book Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders.

In this engaging and story-driven keynote, Monica will guide Summit attendees through the leadership lessons she learned on the frontlines—from behind the counter to the C-Suite. Drawing from her training as an officer in the U.S. Army and decades of restaurant experience, she’ll share practical insights on servant leadership, authentic connection, and what it really means to show up for your team. Attendees will leave with a renewed sense of purpose, actionable frameworks for leading with vulnerability and authenticity, and the tools to build stronger, more resilient teams at every level of their franchise organization.

“The franchise industry runs on people—and the leaders who show up every day for their frontline teams are the ones who drive lasting success,” said Michelle Rowan, president of Franchise Business Review. “We’re thrilled to welcome Monica Rothgery to the 2026 Summit stage. Her story is remarkable, and her message about servant leadership and leading from the frontline is exactly what franchise operations leaders need to hear.”

Voted a top franchise event by Entrepreneur for three years running, the Summit is designed to be a high-energy, high-participation event that showcases diverse voices in franchising, fresh content on operations best practices, and the latest research. It features non-traditional sessions, including hands-on working groups, audience polling, real-world case studies, and roundtable discussions, as well as role-based, attendee-driven pre-conference workshops exclusively for C-level, VP/Director, and HR leaders. See the full agenda at: https://tour.franchisebusinessreview.com/fbr-summit/summit-agenda/

“Monica’s story—from restaurant manager to C-Suite pioneer—is exactly the kind of authentic leadership that resonates deeply with the franchise community,” said Eric Stites, founder of Franchise Business Review. “Every session at the FBR Summit is crafted to be hands-on, engaging, and directly relevant to the real challenges franchise professionals face. The momentum around this event continues to build, and 2026 is shaping up to be our strongest year yet.”

Registration for the FBR Summit is now open at www.fbrsummit.com. Seats are limited. Register early to secure a spot. Group discounts are available.

The FBR Summit is graciously sponsored by these leading franchise suppliers:

EZee Assist, AC Inc., Delightree, RocketBarn, Stay In Your Lane, ADP, Answerconnect, CareerPlug, Cheng Cohen, ClientTether, Fortidia, Harmonyze, Lawmaster Consulting, Profit Soup, Pryze, Qvinci Software, ServiceMinder, Woven, and Faegre Drinker.


About Franchise Business Review
Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a leading independent market research firm that provides franchise organizations with benchmarking research and best practices to improve franchisee and employee satisfaction and engagement. Since 2005, FBR has been trusted by more than 1,300 top-performing franchise companies to equip them with the people-centric data, insights, and tools they need for long-term growth and success in the franchise industry. Learn more about FBR’s franchisee and employee satisfaction solutions at GoFBR.com.

Mariah Morgan
Franchise Business Review
+1 603-501-1977
mariah@franchisebusinessreview.com
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Meet Monica Rothgery, 2026 FBR Summit Keynote

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