From Family Business to Global Brands to Business Advisor: Franck Saragossi's Journey
For entrepreneurial leader and board member Franck Saragossi, the path to becoming a business advisor was paved with profound personal experiences from leading a family business to serving as a senior executive for global brands to providing expertise as business advisor.
Franck’s story begins in South Africa, where his father grew a hardware store that expanded into a paint manufacturing company in the Congo—setting the stage for lessons that would influence Franck’s entire career.
The Family Business
In 1970, Franck’s family moved to South Africa, where he witnessed his first pivotal business moment. His father purchased a hardware store from an ailing owner who hadn't planned for the transition—a scenario that would later fuel Franck’s passion for helping business owners prepare for their futures.
After university, Franck returned to the Congo to join the family’s paint manufacturing business. Working alongside his parents, he encountered the challenges of an unstructured organization firsthand. His father was the visionary, while his mother worked diligently behind the scenes, though not in her element. The lack of defined roles and clear structure made the experience challenging. Tragically, Franck’s mother passed away from cancer a year later, and political uprising forced Franck to leave for the United States while his father remained behind. When his father passed away eight years later, the business had assets but no transition plan—another powerful lesson in the importance of succession planning.
These experiences instilled in Franck a deep commitment to helping family businesses create sustainable, transferable value. "I actually lived the failures of not planning, not transitioning, not having organization, and not having people in the right places," he reflected.
This personal history, combined with the impending transfer of roughly $10 trillion in wealth from baby boomers—many of whom are small business owners—makes Franck’s mission particularly relevant today.
Growing Global Brands
Franck’s corporate career spans 30 years, including roles with luxury brands like Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Pandora. He was instrumental in building organizations from the ground up, starting with Cartier as one of their first hires in their Caribbean and Latin American expansion and later leading Pandora's entry into Mexico. These experiences gave him valuable insights into scaling businesses effectively:
At Pandora Jewelry Mexico, Franck established the subsidiary from the ground up, opening 60 stores and building a team of 300+ employees, driving sales to $80M in under three years.
With Tiffany & Co., he executed wholesale and franchise expansion across eight Latin American countries while developing corporate staff and training high-performing sales teams.
At Little Switzerland, Franck developed and implemented a $40M sales plan, expanding operations with six new stores throughout the Caribbean.
Leading Bata Shoes in Colombia, he restructured the corporate organization of 1,500 people and 315 retail stores, building a culture focused on teamwork and customer experience while improving operational efficiency.
Advising Businesses of all Sizes
Franck’s journey to becoming an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Implementer began when a business coach recommended the book "Traction." The principles resonated with Franck, but it wasn't until years later, while working as a COO for a family business, that he attempted to implement these tools. This experience revealed a crucial insight: Successful business transformation requires more than just implementing tools—it demands a deep understanding of the psychological barriers to change.
Today, Franck works with businesses of all sizes ($5M to $220M) across various sectors, from law offices to retail brands, manufacturers, roofing companies, and dental practices. His approach focuses on three key elements: strategy development, team building, and execution accountability—skills honed during his years in both family business and corporate leadership.
Partnering with Franck: Putting People First
What sets Franck apart is his multicultural background, international experience, and firsthand understanding of building teams from scratch. He brings a unique perspective to the human side of business challenges, drawing from his experience working across different cultures and languages.
Perhaps the most powerful lesson from his journey came during political unrest in The Democratic Republic of Congo. During an uprising, when buildings around his father's factory were in flames, their employees stood guard to protect it—a testament to the loyalty his father had earned through years of ethical leadership and genuine care for his workforce. This experience crystallized his belief that business success isn't just about financial metrics, but about your impact on people's lives.
"You have to have morals, you have to have a compass, you have to treat people well and do business honestly," Franck emphasizes. "It's got nothing to do with the bank account. It's got everything to do with how you value and place importance on things in life."
This philosophy guides his work with clients today, where he helps family businesses grow, unlock value, and monetize what they've built. His typical engagements last two to three years, focusing on creating clarity of direction, building strong teams, and implementing disciplined problem-solving processes. The result? Better workforce engagement, more independence for owners, and sustainable growth and profitability.
For Franck, success in business coaching isn't just about implementing systems—it's about building trust and serving as a valuable sounding board for business owners. His story reminds us that the best business advice comes not just from theoretical knowledge, but from lived experience and a deep understanding of the human elements that make businesses truly successful.
Whether you’re just starting out, ready to scale, or planning for succession, partner with Franck.
