C-Suite Profiles: Amy Przywara, Karen Raskopf

Our 4th Annual Women's Issue of Franchise Update magazine featured profiles of 28 "C-Suite Women" who are not presidents, CEOs, or founders. While not necessarily in the spotlight, these women fill critical roles necessary for a franchise system to prosper and grow. Their titles run the C-Suite gamut: chief marketing/brand officers, chief financial/accounting officers, chief development officers, chief legal officers, chief operating officers, chief technology/information officers, chief people/talent/HR officers, a chief communications officer, and a chief quality, supply chain, and commercialization officer. Several hold dual positions, including executive vice president, senior vice president, vice president, co-owner, co-founder, and board member. In short, effective female leaders who help make the franchise world go round. In recognition of their contributions to their systems, their franchisees, and to franchising as a whole, we're presenting their profiles, two per week.

This week: Amy Przywara, Chief Marketing Officer at Sylvan Learning and Karen Raskopf, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer at Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins.

Amy Przywara

Title: Chief Marketing Officer
Brand: Sylvan Learning
Years in franchising: 21
Years with current brand: 14
Franchised units: 740
Total units: 750
Brand revenue: $29.5 million

Background: Chief Marketing Officer Amy Przywara has been part of the Sylvan family for 13 years, where she has served in various leadership roles including Vice President, Marketing; Senior Marketing Director, Brand and Customer Acquisition; Director of National Advertising; and Director of Co-op Advertising. She has been instrumental in delivering integrated marketing campaigns for Sylvan centers that include national components working in conjunction with a locally focused strategy to drive business to the local centers. Before Sylvan, she held senior roles in the media department of Doner Advertising, a full-service ad agency where she worked with Arby's and ADT dealers. She is a graduate of Penn State University and likes to read, attend sporting events, and travel with her husband and three children.

Karen Raskopf

Title: Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer
Brands: Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins
Years in franchising: 30
Years with current brand: 8
Franchised units: 19,784
Total units: 19,784
Brand revenue: $10.14 billion

Background: Karen Raskopf was named Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for Dunkin' Brands in 2009. With more than 20 years in the communications field, she is responsible for all aspects of the company's global public relations, including internal and executive communications, marketing and crisis public relations, event management, corporate philanthropy, and community relations. Previously, she spent 12 years as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications for Blockbuster. She also served as Manager of Corporate Communications for 7-Eleven, where she led all aspects of public relations. Her background also includes leadership positions at Gannett Broadcasting. She has received several communications awards and is a featured speaker at international conferences on best PR practices. She graduated from the University of Dallas with a B.A. in English.