Tom Potter

Tom Potter founded and worked as the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the prosperous retail food franchise, Eagle Boys Pizza. Starting his business with minimal education and money, Tom’s innovative ideas and unusual business and marketing strategies were so successful, promoting Eagle Boys Pizza’s quick rise to fame amongst both Australia and New Zealand, and becoming the largest privately owned pizza company. Within 20 years, Tom’s franchise opened 200 stores across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Eagle Boys Pizza has received numerous National Franchising Awards, and Tom was even personally presented the Australian Financial Review’s Young Business Person of the Year award.  He was also invited to present the valedictorian speech for his graduating class from Harvard Business School.

As CEO of Eagle Boys Pizza, Tom led a team of 120 corporate staff, as well as 4000 operational staff, leading to the sale of the business in 2007 to an investment banking group, NBC Capital. He has since become the Founder and a Consultant of Crusty Devil Bakehouses, which was also sold in 2014.

Tom brings his innovative insider knowledge, alongside his entrepreneurial and commercial approach to any presentation, revealing his countless triumphs and tribulations through a direct and motivating delivery. He has strong foundations in project management, stakeholder engagement, and business transformation, allowing him to tailor his presentations to suit any event or audience. His unparalleled skills have led to a Non-Executive Director and advisory career in Retail, Franchising and QSR (Quick Service Restaurants), with both privately owned companies, and Government owned Corporations within Australia and the USA.

Tom received recognition from the Franchise Council of Australia as the inaugural member of the Hall of Fame (2005), and later became the Chairman of the leading Australian body, Hall of Fame Committee (2013). He was also a twice recipient of the Australia Day Patron. Tom has served on several boards, such as the Ports Corporation of Queensland, Brumby’s bakeries, The Board of Brisbane, and as a Commissioner on the AFL Queensland.

Amid the global pandemic in 2020, Tom launched his own pizza restaurant, Pizza Guardians, which received immense positive feedback from customers for its simplicity. Tom strives his success on having business resilience, whilst also making well informed business decisions. He establishes the importance of shifting business focus to survival, creating effective leadership and direction to staff and customers, and aggressive brand marketing. 

Tom is a professional corporate speaker, and over the past three years has delivered his keynote presentations to over 50 ASX and privately owned executive teams. Most recently, he has established and sold a bakery concept, with the vision of setting up drive-through model sights.