Meet our team

Managing Partner

Shams’ QSR journey started when his parents immigrated to Atlanta, Georgia in the year 1999. At 14 years old and still in high school, he went to work at a Popeyes in Gainesville, GA on the weekends. Slowly but surely, Shams learned every aspect of store operations and was soon named Manager of that franchise, running the restaurant on weekends in the owner’s absence.

In 2003, while attending Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta, Shams got an opportunity to work as an Assistant Manager at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Chamblee, Georgia. With his own brother being the Manager of the store, the situation worked out well for him and together the two brothers not only increased sales but were able to impress Dunkin’ corporate with their expertise in operating clean, high-quality and efficient restaurants.

In 2007, after graduating from Georgia State University with an accounting degree and having completed an internship at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Shams knew corporate America was just not his cup of coffee. So, after months of considering his next venture, Shams finally got an opportunity to acquire 3 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants together with his brother and one of the owners of the Popeyes that he used to work at during high school.

Fast forward 13 years and Shams still does not regret his decision to not pursue accounting as a career. “I enjoy every aspect of the restaurant business and as the Managing Partner of the organization. I work on organizational strategy, finding new opportunities, overseeing construction and development, and making sure that qualified individuals in the organization have access to increased opportunities to succeed, opportunities like the one I was fortunate to obtain back in 2007. After all, we are in the PEOPLE business, and the continuous development of the PEOPLE in our organization is a hallmark of our operation.”

Shams also received a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia Tech in 2011 and serves as the Chairman of the Board of National DCP, a three+ billion-dollar supply chain co-op procuring for and delivering goods and services to over 10,000 Dunkin’ restaurants. Shams has been a past member of the Dunkin Brand Advisory Council and has held various franchisee leadership positions within the brand. 

“If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.”

-Ratan Tata

Senior Director of Operations

Mark began his restaurant career in Birmingham, Alabama, in the early '80s while attending UAB. His passion for quality food, people development, and customer experience led him to roles as Owner-Operator of Ragtime Café, Joint Venture Partner with Panera Bread, and later into the QSR industry with Dunkin' in 2011. He served as Director of Operations for a franchisee before joining Dunkin' as an Operations Manager in 2017. In 2021, Mark returned to the franchisee side as a partner with ZSC to grow the Dunkin' and Baskin vision in Alabama.

Director of Operations

Rakib embodies ZSC’s growth-from-within culture, starting as a crew member in 2011 after moving to the U.S. He previously served as Senior Executive, Business Assurance & HR at Telenor, a global telecom leader. With expertise in sales, operations, business development, and finance, he excels in driving results in diverse environments. Rakib holds an MBA and a Bachelor’s in Finance from Kennesaw State University and is an OSHA Certified Lead Auditor and ServSafe Certified Instructor & Proctor.

Director of Operations

Arslan exemplifies ZSC’s culture of recognizing and promoting talent. Starting as a crew member in 2010 at 17, he rose to Director of Operations in under 10 years. Having held every restaurant position, he knows what it takes to run a successful QSR network. A mentor to many, Arslan is known for turning around restaurants and driving profitability. He continues to grow within the organization, believing in dreaming big and working hard.

Marketing & Communications

With a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology, Blake blends a keen understanding of human behavior with innovative marketing techniques to connect with diverse audiences. Blake’s strengths lie in her ability to connect with people, whether through strategic partnerships, data-driven insights, or empathetic communication. As a natural storyteller, she excels at transforming complex ideas into relatable messages that inspire action and build lasting relationships.