9Round Franchising, LLC, based in Greensville, SC, announced Kelly Tope as its senior director of franchise development.
Bringing over 25 years of franchising experience to the position, Tope will play an integral part in “advancing the development and growth of 9Round and implementing new sales strategies.”
“Kelly brings to 9Round a wealth of knowledge from her extensive franchising background, which will help ensure new opportunities for growth,” said Shannon Hudson, founder and CEO, 9Round Franchising. “As 9Round continues to expand and reach new milestones, we are excited to bring on Kelly as a new sales leader to provide expertise on franchising, strategy and sales.”
Prior to joining 9Round, Tope was integral to product development at Valvoline, Whataburger, The UPS Store, Supercuts, Cost Cutters, Bruegger’s Bagels, and Taco John’s. In previous positions, she oversaw franchise development departments, developed new resale and transfer programs for franchising systems, facilitated franchisee recruitment processes, and managed franchise sales, department budgets and marketing plans.
“It’s a great opportunity to join the 9Round team and be a part of the journey towards continued growth and success that Shannon, Heather and the team have created,” said Tope. “Franchising is unique in that it allows us to change people’s lives in a variety of ways. Our priority is to ensure that our franchisees feel supported in achieving their goals, not only in business but also in their communities.”
Founded in 2008 by professional kickboxer Shannon Hudson and his wife, Heather, 9Round is the world’s largest kickboxing franchise. The company said it has nearly 700 9Round locations operating in 41 states and 17 countries.
