With 20 years in marketing and 13 spent inside franchise systems, Katherine LeBlanc brings executive-level marketing leadership to 25+ location brands navigating the gap between where they are and where they’re trying to go.
Katherine works with franchise brands as a Fractional CMO, embedded as a senior strategic partner across brand, growth, and operations. Her expertise spans the full marketing mix – brand strategy, pricing, promotions, loyalty, digital media, creative, and customer experience – built across brands ranging from single-unit startups to 800-location systems.
Katherine also hosts two podcasts: Franchise Leader Spotlight and Dear Frannie, on the Franchise Podcast Network. Both shows are dedicated to sharing what’s actually working across franchising.
Beverages are becoming one of QSR’s strongest levers for traffic, margin, and brand differentiation—and where major growth industrywide is taking shape, from big chains jumping in to upstarts signing huge deals. This panel will bring together senior leaders to discuss how signature drinks, flavor innovation, pricing strategy, and experiential beverage programs can reinforce brand identity, elevate perceived value, and unlock incremental revenue across dayparts.
