Meet The Tom & Chee Executive Team

Roger David

President & CEO
Roger David was named President and CEO of GSR Brands, the franchisor of Tom & Chee and Gold Star brands, in 2015. David oversees a team of dedicated professionals working to continue building the Tom & Chee brand, the famous handcrafted melts and soup restaurant chain that rocketed to stardom thanks to a successful appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank.

David believes restaurant brands are built tableside and has advanced the company’s training and development efforts, as well as a deliberate investment into facility efficiencies in order to build environmentally-friendly restaurants, which pays off for franchise owners who are realizing improvements in labor costs, energy usage and employee productivity.

James Conover, CMA

Chief Financial Officer
Driving the financial success and planning for the future of Tom & Chee is at the heart of everything James Conover, CMA, does. Conover directs all aspects of financial activities for GSR Brands and its two flagship brands, Gold Star and Tom & Chee, overseeing all accounting, financing, treasury, budgeting, audit, tax, reporting and insurance activities for both brands.

He is well-versed in topics surrounding franchisee financing and accounting for franchise brands. For James, the key to Tom & Chee’s success is craveable food and a simple operations model designed for franchisee success.

Brian Harper

Vice President of Operations
Brian Harper serves as the Vice President of Operations at GSR Brands (Gold Star and Tom & Chee brands), a senior leadership position with the Company. In this role, Brian is responsible for leading the execution of the brand’s vision and strategy for all company and franchise operations in a way that achieves sales growth and best-in-class operations, while fostering a guest-centric culture. In addition, Brian drives the development, implementation and adoption of new procedures, processes and technologies for the long-term success of the Gold Star and Tom & Chee brands.

Prior to joining GSR Brands four years’ ago, Brian served as a strategic business consultant for both company and franchise operators at International Dairy Queen, Inc. for 25 years. Brian has a proven track record of success helping franchise owners drive operational and financial results while delivering an outstanding guest experience.

Jaimie Green

Human Resources Director
Jaimie Green is a seasoned, C-Suite experienced, Global Human Resources Executive. She possesses extensive experience in building successful people operations programs that include designing, managing, and facilitating. She has proven success in creating cultures of collaboration and implementing change to achieve workforce excellence. Jaimie has a track record of coaching in the areas of transformational leadership, communication, team building, and managing change. Her industry expertise includes technology, manufacturing, engineering, and hospitality. Jaimie is a results-focused leader who delivers solutions that help companies harness the full power of one of their most valuable assets – their people. She rounds out her experience with her Master’s degree in Human Resource Development.

Jamie Pollard

Marketing Manager
Pollard started her career at Gold Star as a server while working her way to a college degree, where she found value in a company where everyone is passionate about what they do and treat each other as one big family.

Now as Field Marketing Manager for both Gold Star and Tom & Chee, Pollard leads a team dedicated to ensuring the success of each franchise owner by developing and managing all local marketing activities for Gold Star and Tom & Chee locations, as well as brand promotions. Her work includes overseeing internal and external teams developing brand strategy, creative and tactics to drive sales in marketing, advertising, public relations and social media. She supports each of Gold Star’s 70+ locations with local store marketing initiatives aimed at raising awareness around store openings, as well as ongoing marketing support for franchisees.

GSR Brands is committed to giving back to the communities that support its brands, and Pollard brings that commitment to life by overseeing charitable giving programs with area schools and nonprofit organizations, including the company’s very successful National Chili Day celebration to benefit local food banks in the region.

Jenny Rachford

Co-Founder & Franchise Development Coordinator
Rachford has a deep love for all things cheesy, and her experience backs it up. As co-founder of the nationally recognized brand, Tom & Chee, Rachford spent plenty of time promoting the cheese love on behalf of the brand. After Tom & Chee transitioned to the GSR Brands family, Rachford moved to her current role of franchise development coordinator for Tom & Chee’s executive team. She is often the first face that prospective franchisees know when they explore Gold Star and Tom & Chee franchise opportunities, managing initial incoming franchisee and resale requests. She also coordinates and plans site selection activities, assists with real estate process and development, and maintains the brands’ updated franchise disclosure document and franchisee files.

Rachford is an active brand ambassador, involved in multiple public relations activities. She is an expert at building relationships with teams, clients and partners and can speak to the value community engagement and involvement plays in a restaurant’s success.

An experienced management team has franchise owners’ backs all day, every day. Wondering what else we have to offer? Click here and we’ll send over some detailed information and arrange a call so we can answer any questions you have.

Jessica George

Vice President of Marketing
After almost 20 years building brand strategy, marketing and strategic communications plans for companies of all sizes, Jessica George joined GSR Brands to oversee the team planning, developing and executing all marketing and communications initiatives across its portfolio of companies in order to hit and exceed critical business objectives. She works to ensure the voice of the consumer echoes across the corporate organization and to every company-owned and franchise restaurant to guarantee each restaurant delivers on GSR Brands’ vision to live in a more hospitable world and treat each guest like family.

Prior to joining GSR Brands, Jessica held C-suite and senior leadership roles at successful marketing agencies where she was charged with agency strategy and operations, led strategy for clients, and built a word-of-mouth marketing line of business from the ground up. She has extensive xperience marketing food service and restaurant clients for brands such as Long John Silver’s, Wendy’s, Papa John’s, Red Robin and T. Marzetti – to name a few. She’s lent her leadership and expertise across a variety of undertakings for brands, including go-to-market strategy, brand positioning and promise development, word-of-mouth-marketing strategy and activation. Jessica holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism from Ohio University.