Isembard Hires Gong Cha Franchise Veteran as Commercial Chief

Manufacturer Isembard has appointed Pip McKenzie as chief commercial officer, tasking the franchise veteran with leading the next phase of growth for its factory franchise network across all markets.

McKenzie arrives with credentials from some of the world's most recognised franchised brands, including McDonald's, KFC, Yum! Brands and Gong Cha. At Gong Cha, she delivered record transactional growth, signing master franchise agreements covering 21 new countries and 3 US states.

In her new role, McKenzie will develop Isembard's franchise platform internationally. Her mandate covers the partnerships, systems and commercial framework needed to scale the network while maintaining what the company calls world-class operational standards.

Isembard says it is the only manufacturer to operate a factory franchise model. Owners run their own factory, while Isembard supplies customer contracts, training and MasonOS, an agentic operating system that handles setup, quoting, scheduling, supply chain, production, quality control and delivery. The model opens factory ownership to individuals with the drive to run their own business but not the systems to do it alone, and has attracted owners from well beyond traditional manufacturing routes, including veterans, tech workers and successful multi-brand franchisees.

The numbers behind the appointment explain the urgency. Isembard now has 16 factories trading, up from four at the start of 2026. That figure includes its new global headquarters and factory in Southwark, central London, thought to be the largest factory to open in the capital since the Second World War.

The company is targeting 100 owned and franchisee factories across the UK alone by the end of 2028. Isembard expects that programme to create 2,200 high-skilled jobs.

McKenzie framed the move in expansive terms. "Re-industrialising the West is one of the defining opportunities of our generation. It requires a scalable model that enables exceptional operators to build world-class manufacturing businesses. By combining precision manufacturing expertise, proprietary Mason OS software and a proven franchise system, Isembard has created exactly that. I am joining to accelerate Isembard's expansion across the UK, Europe and North America and help redefine how advanced manufacturing scales globally," she said.

Founder and CEO Alexander Fitzgerald tied the hire directly to the company's ambitions. "We are building a generational business. We therefore need generational talent. Pip's experience working for some of the world's most successful franchisors provides us with the expertise to support the next phase of growth. We'll soon Pip all other franchise systems to the post," he said.

The appointment signals that Isembard views franchising, not organic expansion, as its primary scaling mechanism. With a fourfold increase in factories already delivered this year and a 100-site UK target just over two years away, McKenzie's record of signing master franchise agreements across 21 countries will face an early test in Europe and North America.