CANTON, Mass. — Dunkin' Brands Inc.'s chief global communications and public affairs officer Stephen J. Caldeira has issued a statement regarding DD Independent Franchise Owners' call for the institution of greater controls over the franchisee ad fund.
DDIFO represents the largest association of Dunkin' Donuts franchise owners in the United States. The request came in response to the news that former Dunkin' Brands executive Carolyn Kravetz has been indicted by the U.S. Attorney's office on charges of mail fraud in connection with an alleged kickback scheme involving ad fund dollars.
"At Dunkin' Donuts, we take very seriously our obligation to protect the brand for the benefit of all our customers, franchisees, and employees," Caldeira said. "As with any responsible company, this includes instituting the appropriate controls throughout the organization to ensure that anyone affiliated with our system upholds all local, state, and federal laws as well as the strong values and high operational standards that are the foundation of our brand and that our customers expect from us.
"As a non-affiliated organization, the DDIFO may not be aware that we have such controls, which incorporate regular independent auditing of all our financial statements, including the Advertising Fund, by one of the country's most respected accounting firms.
"Regarding the indictment of our former employee, we detected the fraud and promptly reported it to the authorities, and we have recovered all monies. As previously stated, as this is a pending legal matter, we will not make any further comment on the case."
