Following the debut of a brand new corporate training facility, Marco’s Pizza, the fastest growing pizza franchise in the U.S., is proud to announce the appointment of former Command Sergeant Roderick Sanders to Senior Director of Learning and Development.
In his new role, Sanders will be responsible for creating and executing all training and development initiatives with a focus on operational excellence. Starting in February, Sanders will lead the company’s cutting-edge “Introduction to Operational Excellence” training program with the goal of creating an entirely new experience for all levels of new training and ultimately, setting the industry standard.
“Coming from outside of the pizza world with a strong military background, Sanders brings with him a distinctive style in regards to developing training content that is completely unique to the restaurant industry. More importantly, he brings a personal connection that aligns perfectly with our brand’s commitment to the military community,” said Bryon Stephens, COO and President of Marco’s Pizza. “Sanders’ deep understanding for leadership and innovation that drives results will benefit our brand tremendously as we revolutionize the industry and shatter the way existing concepts train.”
Sanders brings 24 years of professional experience in conceptualizing, developing and implementing training programs to Marco’s Pizza, both in corporate and military environments. Also serving as an accomplished curriculum/course developer, Sanders received numerous accolades for his expertise in professional leadership development and instructional design best practices for multiple corporations. Having spent the past 20 years with the U.S. Army, most recently serving as the Director of Leadership Development and Training Management as a Battalion Command Sergeant, Sanders understands veterans’ military career transitions first-hand along with the benefits of joining a proven franchise system.
“As a Command Sergeant, I developed a strong passion for educating others and setting them up for success,” said Sanders. “Marco’s Pizza is committed to putting the right people and processes in place to ensure the success of each and every franchise owner, and I am proud to be a part of that mission. I look forward to utilizing my experience in training and development, in collaboration with Marco’s Pizza’s superior brand and business model, to fuel continued growth and innovation that will help take the company to new heights.”
Sander’s appointment comes during a monumental year of growth for Marco’s Pizza. With plans to open 175 new stores this year, averaging one new store opening every other day, the company is on track to reach 1,000 locations by 2017.
Marco’s Pizza serves the expanding $40 billion U.S. pizza market that continues to grow at a rate of 1 and 2 percent per year. As the only national franchise chain founded by a native Italian, the company has made a name for itself in the bourgeoning industry by producing fresh, authentic, handmade pizza, known for its fresh dough made daily on site, a proprietary cheese blend that is fresh never-frozen, and a secret pizza sauce recipe. Its success and rapid growth is a result of its strong corporate backing, ability to take market share, unit-level profitability, its Italian food standards as well as its capability to attract top talent among its franchisees and corporate staff.
