Backed By Experience
What sets The StratonHunter Group apart isn’t just what we know — it’s what we’ve done. Our team brings together over a century of combined experience across franchise operations, food & beverage manufacturing, brand development, capital markets, and enterprise value creation. We’ve built systems, led turnarounds, launched brands, closed deals, and sat in the seat you’re in. We don’t just advise. We work alongside you.
System Readiness Overview
A single, quantified view of performance and readiness across four critical pillars.
Operating Performance
Brand & Demand Strength
Expansion Capability
Enterprise & Financial Readiness
Executive Leadership. Commercial Intelligence. Real Results.
Robert Carter has spent two decades at the intersection of growth strategy, consumer intelligence, and enterprise value creation — working alongside North America’s leading restaurant, retail, franchise, FoodTech, and consumer brands through expansion, disruption, acquisition, and transformation. He has led strategic planning sessions for McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, A&W, Starbucks, and other global franchise leaders, and played an instrumental role in bringing Chick-fil-A to Canada.
Today his focus is on what comes next.
Robert believes AI will fundamentally reshape how companies operate, how consumers discover brands, how decisions get made, and how enterprise value is built. The next generation of market leaders won’t be defined by size alone — but by intelligence, adaptability, leadership alignment, and system discipline. It’s this conviction that sits at the heart of PerformANT AI and the System Readiness Score.
As President of The StratonHunter Group, Robert helps franchisor CEOs rethink growth through the lens of AI, operational intelligence, scalability, and long-term strategic positioning. A Stanford Executive Program graduate in Strategy and Organization, and inductee of the Ontario Hostelry Institute Hall of Fame.
"The companies that lead the next decade will not simply grow faster. They will think smarter, adapt earlier, and build systems designed for continuous evolution."
Rob Carmichael is an operator first. With 30+ years scaling multi-unit restaurant and retail brands across Canada, he has sat in the seat you’re in — managing P&L, driving unit-level performance, and building the systems that turn a good brand into a scalable one.
As a fractional COO and strategic advisor, Rob works directly alongside CEOs and ownership groups to connect strategy to execution — ensuring what gets planned actually works at the store level. He has led operational turnarounds, built franchise systems from the ground up, and guided founder-led businesses through the critical transition to structured, scalable organizations.
His focus is simple: grow in a disciplined, profitable, and scalable way.
"I'm not a career consultant. I'm an operator who understands what it takes to run the business day-to-day — and how to scale it."
Lubo Zizakovic brings something most franchise advisors simply don’t have — deep capital markets experience and a proven track record of doing deals at scale. With a career spanning investment banking, institutional securities, private equity, and M&A advisory, Lubo has spent three decades at the intersection of capital, strategy, and enterprise value creation.
Beginning at Scotia Capital in corporate finance before rising to Vice President of Business Operations at HSBC Securities, Lubo later co-founded Barrier Ridge Capital — a self-sponsored private equity firm where he and his team bought and sold over 30 companies across more than 20 transactions, transacting nearly $1 billion during his tenure.
For franchisor CEOs thinking about their next stage — whether attracting investment, preparing for acquisition, or building toward a liquidity event — Lubo is the person in the room who has done it before, at scale.
Jennifer Hennings brings a rare combination of frontline mastery and enterprise-level operational leadership that few advisors can match. With nearly 20 years inside some of Canada’s most recognized hospitality and franchise brands — including Recipe Unlimited, Cara Operations, and Sir Corp — she has led from every level of the organization, from the kitchen to the boardroom.
As Director of Operations Excellence & Planning at Recipe Unlimited, Jennifer built and led the systems that drive consistent execution across one of Canada’s largest multi-unit franchise organizations. Her superpower is turning operational complexity into scalable simplicity — the kind of clarity that shows up in your P&L, your franchisee satisfaction, and your system’s readiness to grow.
Tim Crowe began his career at The Keg Steakhouse + Bar, where he mastered the operational standards, training disciplines, and customer service culture that define one of North America’s most respected restaurant brands.
He then spent a decade at St. Louis Bar & Grill leading operations across 75+ locations and $125M+ in annual revenue — driving a 95% customer satisfaction rating through a national quality control initiative, building training programs that created consistent guest experiences system-wide, and developing the franchisee frameworks that ensure every location opens strong and performs consistently. He also launched the Wing City brand from concept to national expansion.
Tim brings to SHG deep expertise in multi-unit operations, franchisee training and success, customer satisfaction, and the systems that drive performance, consistency, and scalability across a growing franchise network.
"Well-executed operations is the engine that enables strategic ambition. Growth is only sustainable when the systems beneath it are built to last."
Jen Lacey has led franchise sales for more than 10 of the industry’s most recognizable brands — bringing a rare end-to-end perspective that spans franchise sales, legal compliance, site selection, and construction. From the first conversation with a prospective franchisee to the moment the doors open, she owns the entire development process.
With Director of Development roles at Topper’s Pizza, Cinnzeo Bakery Cafe, and beyond, Jen has built franchise pipelines that consistently prioritize the right partners over deal volume, brand integrity over short-term growth, and franchisee success over signatures on a page.
She brings to SHG something every growing franchisor needs — a development leader who knows how to scale a system the right way, with the right people, from day one.
"Sustainable franchise growth comes from selecting the right partners, securing the right sites, and building relationships that last beyond the deal."
As Chief of Staff at The StratonHunter Group, Nichole Pinnegar is the operational backbone and a dedicated force multiplier for the executive team. A strategic problem-solver, she seamlessly translates the company’s high-level vision into daily operational success. By driving cross-functional initiatives and streamlining workflows, Nichole allows the leadership team to focus entirely on growth and strategy.
Bringing deep expertise in resource optimization and stakeholder management, Nichole serves as a critical bridge across departments. She ensures organizational alignment and expertly navigates complex priorities by proactively anticipating executive needs and strengthening administrative infrastructure.
Before her current role, Nichole built an exceptional seven-year track record in high-stakes public sector environments. Notably, as operational lead for the Mayor of Waterloo, she advised on rapidly changing challenges, championed productivity-boosting cloud technologies, and managed communications for 130,000 residents. She also optimized complex judicial resources for the Ontario Government.
Today, Nichole leverages her sharp organizational skills and forward-thinking mindset to drive continuous excellence at The StratonHunter Group.
Stephanie believes that great training doesn’t just happen in a classroom—it happens in the day-to-day moments where leaders coach, teams grow, and exceptional guest experiences are created.
With more than 25 years in the restaurant industry and over 13 years leading Learning & Development for some of Canada’s most recognized restaurant organizations; Recipe Unlimited, Cara Operations and Prime Restaurants Inc., Stephanie began her career in restaurant operations, progressing into executive Learning & Development roles.
Having worked on both sides of the business, she understands that successful training must do more than look good—it must fit seamlessly into the realities of a busy restaurant and be easy for managers to execute.
Stephanie believes that great Learning & Development is one of the most powerful drivers of business success and her work is grounded in one principle: learning should improve performance, not add complexity.
When leaders are equipped to coach effectively and employees are given the right tools to succeed, organizations build stronger cultures, deliver more consistent guest experiences, and achieve lasting results.