Chief Executive Officer

Scott Zide

Scott began his franchising journey in 2000 when he began working as a franchise owner for Outdoor Lighting Perspectives in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2002, he was hired by Outdoor Lighting Perspectives Franchise (OLPF) as a consultant to help support new franchisees, leading to a full-time position as director of franchise support and then as Vice President managing the day-to-day operations. He was a co-founder of Mosquito Squad in 2004 prior to it being acquired by Outdoor Living Brands in 2009. He then became COO and then became CEO of Empower Brands in 2022.

Scott has spent his entire career in franchising, first as a franchisee before moving to the franchisor side of the relationship. He has played an integral role in the development and growth of the OLB family of franchises. He has a franchisee-first mindset and has made it a priority to bring the voice of the franchisee into every decision and will continue to do so as CEO. Scott graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in business management.

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Michael Borreca

Michael Borreca is the Senior Vice President and CFO of Empower Brands. At Empower Brands, Michael is responsible for creating a vision and strategic direction for the overall accounting and finance functions including forecasting, business planning, management reporting and business analytic activities. This also includes the development of key strategic business initiatives to closely align planning with financial results. Before joining LYNX and Empower Brands, Michael served as VP of Corporate Finance and Corporate Treasury for FOCUS Brands Inc., a franchisor of over 5,300 worldwide restaurant locations across 6 brands, where he had responsibility for the corporate finance, external reporting, corporate treasury, and investor relations departments. Prior to that, Michael spent the bulk of his career working for KPMG, LLP management consulting practice where he focused on finance strategy and finance transformations including organizational design, due diligence, process development and improvements, accounting operations, and merger/acquisition integration. 

Michael resides in Alpharetta, GA with his family, is a graduate from Florida State University (MAcc and BS in Finance & Accounting), is a member of the AICPA and is an avid golfer in his free time.

Chief Operations Officer – Residential

Tom Welter

With a robust background in franchising and operations, Tom proudly serves as the Chief Operations Officer for Empower Brands. His background includes roles such as Regional VP of Operations for Yum! Brands, Senior VP of Operations for 24 Hour Fitness franchises, VP of Franchising for Byrider, COO of Lift Brands, and CEO of Clean Streak Ventures. Prior to joining Empower Brands, Tom served as VP for FirstService Residential, overseeing North America’s largest manager of residential communities. As COO, Tom leads the strategic direction and overall culture of Empower, building a team of world-class support and providing guidance to accomplish strategic business goals. 

Tom resides in Richmond, Virginia with his family and is a proud graduate and former all-American football player of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Go Big Red!

Chief Development Officer

Scott Sutton

Scott Sutton serves Empower Brands as its Chief Development Officer, responsible for the franchise development strategies, initiatives and tactics across the company’s 10 franchise brands. In addition, he leads the development strategies associated with the integration of acquired brands and incubation of new-to-industry concepts. During his 30+ year career, he has led mergers and acquisitions, strategy, franchise development, and new brand incubation functions in publicly traded and private equity backed businesses.

Scott serves as an elected member of the Board of Trustees of the International Franchise Association’s (the “IFA”) Foundation and is a member of the IFA’s Legislative Action Group. He is a former three-time Chairman of the Emerging Franchisor Conference and served two terms on the Board of the International Institute of Franchise Education at the Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University.

Scott is recognized as a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor, a Certified Franchise Executive and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, Scott and his wife Linda are parents to two adult children and reside in metro Atlanta, Georgia.

Vice President – General Counsel

Sanjay Malhotra

Since August 2022, Sanjay Malhotra has proudly served as Vice President, General Counsel for Empower Brands.  Sanjay is a skilled legal executive with successful experience in managing the corporate, litigation, risk management, and commercial law challenges of both regional and global companies.

A business minded attorney with an eye to solving problems, Sanjay’s experience spans multiple industries, including consumer product goods manufacturing, hospitality, retail, and technology.  From 2019 to 2021, Sanjay was the Chief Legal Officer of Paris Baguette Bon Doux and its US and Canadian affiliates headquartered in Moonachie, New Jersey.  From 2014 to 2018, Sanjay served as the Global General Counsel of Le Pain Quotidien based in New York, NY and Brussels, Belgium.  Prior to that, Sanjay was the Vice President and Managing Counsel of Litigation and Employment Law at Adecco Group, N.A. for over ten years based in Melville, New York.

Sanjay currently lives in Richmond, Virginia with his family.

Chief Marketing Officer

Felicia Reeves 

As Chief Marketing Officer of Empower Brands, Felicia Reeves leads strategic marketing initiatives that strengthen brand presence and drive business growth. With extensive experience leading award-winning marketing teams across home services, financial services and technology, REITs, and franchising industries, she brings a blend of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making to Empower’s portfolio of brands. 

Felicia focuses on aligning brand strategy with customer needs, integrating data with creative execution, and connecting local franchise efforts with broader business goals. She sees marketing as both an art and a science–requiring thoughtful strategy, collaboration, and a focus on measurable impact.

Outside of work, Felicia is a wife and mother of two. She enjoys gardening and cooking with her children, finding joy in creating meaningful experiences both personally and professionally. 

Brand President – Archadeck Outdoor Living

Michael Reeder

Mike is responsible for coaching, training, and mentoring new and existing Archadeck franchisees as well as monitoring the growth of the Archadeck system. Mike joined the Outdoor Living Brands team in 2016 after 15 years as an Archadeck franchisee in Columbus, OH. He began his career in the hospitality business, working for Hyatt Hotels for over 15 years. Mike graduated with a degree in Business Management from the University of Houston.

Brand President – Conserva Irrigation

Heather Todd

Heather Todd serves as Brand President for Conserva Irrigation. She is focused on vision for
continued growth while preserving and strengthening Conserva’s unique culture. She has over
30 years of entrepreneurial, franchise, and franchisor experience which provides her with a
unique perspective. Her franchise journey began as a child when her parents launched their
training and consulting franchise, the first of many businesses. Heather joined the Home
Services space in 2009 where she led operations for a multi-brand franchisee location. In 2017
she joined a multi-brand franchisor as a key leader within their brand operations, serving as
Vice President of Operations prior to joining Empower Brands. As Brand President, Heather
champions the “Conserva Way,” with a continued focus on growth and excellence. Heather is
married and has three children; she resides in Richmond VA with her husband and daughter.
Outside of work she enjoys volunteering, listening to live music, and Broadway shows with
family.

Brand President – FRSTeam

Holly Murry

Holly Murry serves as the Brand President of FRSTeam. Holly is responsible for the vision, culture, and strategic growth plans at FRSTeam. Holly joined FRSTeam over 20 years ago and has worked in the field, national sales, and operations throughout her tenure. In 2006, Holly helped launch the FRSTeam brand internationally as a partner in the new franchise that now has over 50 offices serving the U.S. and Canada for textile and electronics restoration. Holly focused on growth of the company stores and turning around underperforming locations. She helped develop management teams that consistently exceed growth and profitability expectations while maintaining a high level of service and culture. Holly’s passion for helping others succeed continues in her personal life when she helped launch the BACa Foundation in 2012 that helps support those affected by Cancer in the Colorado community and now sits on the Board. Holly resides in Denver, CO with her husband and their 2 children.

Brand President – JAN-PRO

Gary Bauer

Gary Bauer serves as the Brand President of JAN-PRO. Gary has over 30 years of experience with ServiceMaster and served as the COO of multiple ServiceMaster franchise brands (including ServiceMaster Clean and Service Master Restore) for 4 years. Before assuming the role of COO, Gary was the senior leader of the ServiceMaster Clean brand for over 7 years. In total, Gary served over 15 years as part of ServiceMaster’s senior leadership team. Gary joined the corporate team after a decade of experience working for a ServiceMaster Master Franchisee in the Midwest in a variety of roles including operations and franchise sales. Gary is a graduate of Coe College.

Brand President – Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

Rich Young

Rich is responsible for all facets of franchise support for the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives brand, including development and implementation of field support programs, field visits, and trade alliance development. He joined the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives team in 2006 after 13 years in retail management at store, district, and regional levels for Target and Home Depot. Rich graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Madonna University in Livonia, MI.

Brand President – Superior Fence & Rail

Zach Peyton

Mr. Peyton graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point before serving as an officer of the United States Army as an intelligence officer. Mr. Peyton served one tour in Afghanistan and received the Bronze Star for his service. In 2009, Zach left the military and moved to Jacksonville to open Superior Fence & Rail of North Florida. By 2016, Zach had led the North Florida office to be recognized as a leader, not only within the Superior Fence & Rail group, but also within the wider industry. Zach agreed to partner with Chris and use the North Florida office as the model for franchise expansion.

As President, Zach oversees the day-to-day operations of the franchise. He also works directly on franchise development. When he’s not working, Zach spends time with his wife Carlie and their four children.

Brand President – Koala Insulation

Cory Lyons

Cory Lyons has served as our Brand President for Koala Insulation since August 2023. Mr. Lyons served as Vice President of Franchise Development for Steele Brands Management from January 2023 to August 2023 in Minneapolis, MN. Prior to that, Mr. Lyons served as Vice President of Franchise Development for Perspire Sauna Studio from March 2021 to January 2023. Mr. Lyons held multiple positions with Lift Brands in Chanhassen, Minnesota from December 2007 to March 2021 including Director of Franchise Development and Director of Operations.

Brand President – Bumble Roofing

David Bitan

With 16 years of experience in home and residential services, David Bitan is the driving force behind Bumble Roofing, a company that has transformed the roofing industry over the last five years. David’s passion lies in bringing fresh, innovative experiences to traditional industries and turning customers into lifelong raving fans. After successfully establishing Bumble Roofing as a household name in the Los Angeles market, David partnered with Empower Brands to expand his vision nationwide. Today, he is dedicated to helping franchise owners achieve their goals, while continuing to fulfill homeowners’ roofing dreams through the Bumble Roofing vision.

VP of Human Resources

Heather Burns

Heather Burns has spent her entire career with a focus on all areas of Human Resources, working for multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Target Stores, Berkely Insurance, and BJs Wholesale Club. Her primary focus is to serve as a strategic leader and a trusted business partner to senior leadership.  She has been heavily involved in the growth, development, and promotion of many leaders in large corporations and continues to have a passion for identifying and developing top talent for Empower Brands. 

Heather is also focused on process improvements and strategic change to make Empower Brands the employer of choice for current and future talent.   She lives in Richmond, VA with her husband and musical theater-loving teenage daughter.