Subway recognized 35 Business Development Agents (BDAs) for outstanding achievements at its annual Leadership Conference last week.
There are more than 300 Subway Business Development Agents in more than 100 countries and in every state in the U.S. BDAs work with franchise owners in their markets to help train and support franchise owners, to help build brand awareness in emerging markets and to promote the brand values. Often Franchise Owners themselves, BDAs are entrepreneurs, coaches, mentors and leaders.
“The honorees were recognized for different reasons but they all have one thing in common; they continue to be the best at what they do and serve as exceptional leaders in their territories and as an inspiration to their peers for the hard work, dedication and innovation they demonstrate on a daily basis,” says Current CEO Trevor Haynes.
The prestigious Co-Founders Award, named in honor of Subway co-founders Dr. Peter Buck and Fred Deluca, went to the BDA team in Puerto Rico. Lyle Swanson and Jose Vasquez helped Franchise Owners re-build after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. The pair brought in generators and fresh clean water and fed first responders supporting the recovery efforts. The efforts by award recipients inspired the Subway brand to establish an official program for local BDAs and Franchise Owners to provide support for first responders in communities around the world after natural disasters.
For demonstrating integrity and overcoming challenges to deliver excellent guest service, Wei Jia, from China and brothers Raghu and Rohit Marwaha from California received the Leadership Award for the continued dedication to innovation and creating a Best in Class Subway experience in their markets.
Giving back and being a valued member of our communities is part of the Subway family DNA. This year three exceptional individuals were honored with the Outstanding Community Partner Award.
- Joe Russell, from of Alabama, took a football rivalry, paired with the launch of Subway’s new Ultimate Cheesy Garlic Bread, and raised money for the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Boys and Girls Clubs. Joe and the team in his market continually raise money for local organizations such as foodbanks, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs and others.
- A long-time activist for Autism support, Donna Curry from Nevada, raises money and actively works to support life skills programs and a “Teamworks” program where youth gets a chance to work in the community Many autistic Sandwich Artists are employed in Donna’s Subway restaurants throughout Las Vegas.
- Education is a fundamental right that no one should lack, according to Jackie Jones of Panama. Jackie and her team promote education and inclusion in their communities and within her organization. The market supports the Best Buddy Program, a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Subway guests have a great experience when visiting their local restaurant is one of the key goals for all Subway franchise owners. Guest Service Excellence honors went to four BDA teams that consistently have excellent feedback and survey scores from guests. These recipients displayed the tremendous commitment and dedication to making the guest experience even better in their territories.
- The Marwaha Group, Anaheim, California
- Jan Holtermann, Montserrat Odlo and Franz Amrhein, Costa Rica
- Ivan Todorov and Rumen Radev, Romania
- Margot Micallef and Tanja Hrgovic, Canada
Mentoring and coaching new talent is an integral part of Subways future. Two BDAs that have accomplished a lot in their territories in a short amount of time were given the Rising Star Award. Jason West, from Oklahoma, and Daniel Jensen, from Australia, joined the Subway system within the last five years. They have served as great brand ambassadors, demonstrating leadership and have made a significant impact on their region through great leadership and determination. They both have done amazing things n their markets and serve as great brand ambassadors.
Launching a robust delivery plan with some of the top delivery organizations in the world requires support of many team players. Teams from Florida and India were pioneers in helping to launch delivery programs in their markets that have since expanded to locations around the world. Third Party Delivery Pioneer Award honors went to Eric Sacks, from South Florida, and the team from India, Chetan Arora and Sachin Kapoor. They worked to make the most of the new Third-Party Delivery Program and have helped Franchise Owners in their territories add delivery to their business plans.
As Subway celebrates the opening of the 1,000th new, modern Fresh Forward restaurant design, BDAs who were among the first to pilot the program in their regions, were recognized for the Fresh Forward Locations in their territories.
- Margot Micallef and Tanja Hrgovic, Canada
- Larry Feldman, Adam Feldman and Erick Sacks, Florida
- Hyun Joo Lee, North Asia
- Theo Tsiankas and Tony Abate Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia
- Susan Pasco, Stephen Pasco and Ryan Pasco, Europe
- Cristian Solis, Latin America & Caribbean
- Deniz Yasemin, Middle East, Africa and South Asia