Erik has held the CFO position in a variety of private equity backed companies in the retail and consumer products industries. Prior to that Erik spent 11 years at Staples leading several finance and IT functions. Erik has a degree in economics from Tulane University, an MBA from the University of Virginia, and was a CPA in Massachusetts. Erik also spent 6 years in the U.S. Navy and served the role of logistics officer aboard several ships and retired as a Lieutenant in 1994.

Mr. Herz oversees a very diversified legal and business enterprise with particular emphasis on strategic development planning. He has served as our General Counsel since 1999. His responsibilities extend to management of litigation, corporate real estate development, human resources, domestic and international franchise matters. As Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, he ensures that the Company and its affiliates remain compliant with all its regulatory filings on both a federal and state level for licensing, reporting and corporate compliance.