FASTSIGNS International Inc Promotes Susan Last to Chief Operating Officer

FASTSIGNS International, Inc., a sign and graphics franchisor with over 500 locations worldwide, announced that senior vice president of Franchise Services, Susan Last, CFE, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Last has been with FASTSIGNS International, Inc. for over ten years, serving in various capacities as the director of training, vice president of training and since 1999 as the senior vice president of franchise services. In her new role as COO, Last will take on all international support responsibilities and be more involved with franchise relations, both domestic and international. She will also serve as the liaison to FASTSIGNS’ Franchise Advisory Committee (FAC), which provides strategic advice and guidance on services and programs that benefit the FASTSIGNS network in North America and the United Kingdom, fostering a productive relationship between the franchisor and franchisee.

“As the leader of the largest department in the company, Susan does an excellent job of balancing the responsibilities of a supervisor, supporter and mentor to a diverse group of people,” said FASTSIGNS president Larry Lane in announcing Last’s promotion.

Last has been involved in franchising since 1983. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Elementary Education and joined the staff of Sylvan Learning Centers, serving in a wide variety of capacities, including operating a center for a franchisee, to being a franchise business consultant, district manager, curriculum development, training and project manager.

Her experience in adult learning, training and franchising through Sylvan was a good fit for FASTSIGNS, who was seeking an individual to develop training programs for the franchise community. She joined the company in August 1996 as the director of training development and was soon promoted to vice president of training, where she grew the department from offering only one course for new franchise owners to a variety of courses focusing on the individual roles and education needs within the FASTSIGNS franchise including Customer Service Representative (CSR) training, production manager training, general manager training, software training, and much more.

As FASTSIGNS grew, it was necessary to have better communication and cohesiveness between the four departments within franchise services: training, technical support, operations and operations services. In 1999, Last was asked to oversee the entire franchise support department and was promoted to senior vice president of franchise services.

“I look forward with great anticipation at the continued opportunities ahead to contribute to the success of the FASTSIGNS franchise network," said Last. “This is an exciting time to be a part of the leadership of our company, and I aim to help both our corporate staff as well as our network of over 500 franchises, deliver on our promise of making the sign buying process simple through innovation and technology."

Last earned her CFE (Certified Franchise Executive) in February 2003 and earned her renewal in January 2007. She resides in Carrollton, TX.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. recently received Franchise Business Review’s “Franchise 50 Best-in-Category Award” for the business services industry, which is based on levels of franchisee satisfaction. The national franchise market research firm also ranked FASTSIGNS International, Inc. fifth overall on the list of the top 50 franchise companies. The Franchise 50™ awards are an annual ranking by Franchise Business Review of the top 50 franchise companies in the U.S.