Business
Happy Belly Food Group Appoints Former Boston Pizza Vice President of Finance and Business Technology as their Executive Vice President of Finance as Franchising Growth Continues to Accelerate
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 6, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging restaurant brands, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Thomas as Executive Vice President of Finance, effective immediately.Mr. Thomas joins Happy Belly with more than 25 years of senior financial leadership experience, including deep expertise in franchised restaurant systems, public and private company...
About this update from Happy Belly Food Group Inc
[{"type":"text","content":"Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 6, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging restaurant brands, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Thomas as Executive Vice President of Finance, effective immediately.","length":333,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Mr. Thomas joins Happy Belly with more than 25 years of senior financial leadership experience, including deep expertise in franchised restaurant systems, public and private company reporting, and multi-divisional operations. His appointment further strengthens Happy Belly's executive team as the Company continues to scale its multi-branded franchising platform across Canada while advancing its U.S. growth strategy.","length":423,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Ian brings a rare combination of franchised restaurant expertise, public-company financial discipline, and operational leadership," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly. "He has successfully navigated complex reporting environments, driven sustained profitability improvements, and built scalable finance and technology teams within large, high-growth organizations. As Happy Belly enters its next phase of expansion, Ian's experience will be instrumental in strengthening our financial infrastructure, supporting franchisee success, and delivering long-term shareholder value."","length":622,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Mr. Thomas most recently spent nine years at Boston Pizza International, Canada's leading casual dining brand, where he served as Vice President of Finance, including four years in a dual role as Vice President of Business Technology. In these roles, he oversaw financial operations for both the private franchisor and the public income fund, managing complex financial reporting requirements and leading profitability and cost-savings initiatives across multiple business segments. His leadership contributed to sustained annual improvements in franchisee profitability and operational efficiency.","length":602,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Mr. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). Throughout his career, he ha...