OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

RAY TITUS

CEO, Starpoint Brands

Ray Titus, CEO of Starpoint Brands, is a widely recognized leader in the franchise industry. He started the company in 1986 with the Signarama brand in Farmingdale, New York. Ray has received numerous honors and awards for his leadership at Starpoint Brands and in the franchising industry. In addition to recognition for his business acumen, Ray is also an accomplished speaker and author.

JASON ANDERSON

President, Vast Coworking

Rich with franchising, real estate, marketing and technology experience, Jason Anderson leads the Venture X brand. Jason oversees all aspects of the growth and development of this dynamic business after serving in other leadership roles at Starpoint Brands including President of Accurate Franchising and Chief Technology Officer. Jason also has strong real estate management skills which he honed as the founder of Premier Property Marketing Group in Dallas. It was in that capacity that he was recognized by Forbes Magazine in their coveted “30 Under 30” list which chronicles the brashest entrepreneurs across North America.

PAULA MERCER

Vice President, Operations

After serving in several other operational roles within Starpoint Brands for more than twelve years and being involved in the development of Venture X from the beginning, Paula became Vice President of Operations for Venture X in 2019. Paula oversees all aspects related to operations and new building openings for current and future franchise owners. Additionally, she has a strong focus on evaluating and implementing brand initiatives related to operational processes.

Paula has extensive global travel experience and brings her wealth of knowledge to the Venture X brand as it continues to grow domestically and internationally. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in business management from Liberty University.

MATT COZZA

Vice President, Development

Highly knowledgeable and experienced Corporate Real Estate Executive with broad and deep familiarity with a variety of industries for over 30 years. Matt has a proven track record with site selection, construction and financing for franchisees, schools, restaurants, grocers and pharmacies. He leads a dynamic team of proven professionals that are determined to exceed expectations and drive value with profitability. He has a reputation for performance excellence, leadership, and results.

Tim Smith

Managing Director – Australia

Tim Smith has been with the company for over 4 years. Tim is the current Managing Director of UFG in Australia. Tim’s career started in education, and he is a graduate of The Australian College of Physical Education. Tim has served as a senior executive in organisations both in Australia and The United States. His prior role was Investment Director with a Private Equity Investment firm in Australia. Tim has held positions as both a Franchisee and a Franchisor, he is married to Melinda and has two son’s Callum and Fraser.

Evan Foster

Global Director

Evan Foster has been in franchising for close to 20 years, with the majority of that spent across various roles at Starpoint Brands. Joining the company in a local support role in 2006, Evan led the Australian operation across the UFG portfolio for 7 years. Since 2017 he has led the Signarama brand in Australia through significant growth, before being appointed as the Global Director in 2022 to work with the company’s Master Franchisees internationally to develop the brands around the world.

Evan was inducted as a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) in 2017.

JULIAN CHONG

Director of Accurate Franchising Inc – Australia

Julian Chong leads the Accurate Franchising Inc team in Australia. Prior to joining Starpoint Brands in 2010, Julian gained his experience working in London for several years in tech as well as for a global communications agency. After completing his MBA over there, he returned to Australia and joined the UFG team. He has since held a number of positions within the company including franchisee operational and marketing support, franchisee recruitment, and working with the marketing funds across its brands. He now brings this wealth of knowledge to assist Accurate Franchising clients through their franchising journey advising them on key strategic decisions. Julian has a wife and two boys and is based out of Perth.