Lonnie Helgerson, CFE — Franchise Executive, U.S. Army Veteran, Author & Consultant

Lonnie Helgerson, CFE, is a seasoned franchise executive, bestselling author, and trusted consultant with over 35 years of experience in the franchising industry. He is widely recognized for his deep operational expertise, strategic franchise development work, and thought leadership in building strong, profitable franchise systems. 

Lonnie is the author of the acclaimed franchising guide Five Pennies: Ten Rules to Successfully Build a Franchise Mega-Brand and Maximize System Profits, regarded as a practical field manual for both emerging and established franchisors. He also wrote the practical handbook Buying a Franchise – Is it Right for Me? to help aspiring franchisees make informed decisions. 

Throughout his career, Lonnie has worked with major brands including Super 8 Motels®, Ident-A-Kid®, and others, and pioneered the franchising of technology-oriented service brands, including founding Computer Doctor®, the first computer repair franchise in the United States.

A highly respected speaker, trainer, and facilitator, Lonnie has presented at national franchise industry events, including those hosted by the International Franchise Association and the Franchisor Association of Florida. 

His strategic leadership highlights include: 

• Founding Board Member and past Chairman of the VetFran Committee; a program within the International Franchise Association’s Education Foundation to support the entrepreneurial endeavors of our military veterans.
• Served on numerous Board positions including IFA Board of Governors, IFA Franchisor Forum, IFA Convention Committee, Franchisor Association of Florida, Nova Southeastern University Franchising programs, and University of St. Thomas Franchise programs.
• Successfully redesigned entire dealer recruiting process for RaceTrac®/RaceWay® a major convenience store chain ($7 billion revenue), resulting in attracting a new profile of store owner, new recruiting tactics and process, and increased dealer growth.
• Introduced a strategic re-branding and re-imaging initiative, which led to a dramatic improvement of franchisee relations. Enhanced new product offering that increased franchisor & franchisee sales more than 20% in first year.
• Built six new franchise systems from start-up to operation, with sales results in excess of 100 new
  franchises per year; and commitments for one brand of over 300 franchises in one year.
• Negotiated and launched a 100 store retail test with Walmart Supercenters® as America’s first retail computer service centers and contracted with Sam’s Club® for national computer service contracts.
• Initiated the concept of strategic in-store service centers for Best Buy®, which ultimately became known nationally as the Geek Squad®.

Lonnie’s industry influence extends to governance roles on boards and advisory councils such as the International Franchise Association, the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives, and academic advisory boards for franchise education programs. He earned the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation in 2002 and holds multiple executive MBA credentials in Franchise Management.