Dominos CEO, David Brandon, Named 2007 CEO Coach of the Year

David Brandon, CEO of Domino's PizzaThe American Football Coaches Foundation announced today that David A. Brandon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Domino's Pizza, is the 2007 recipient of its CEO Coach of the Year Award. In its second year, this is the highest honor bestowed by the organization, whose inaugural recipient in 2006 was Jeffrey R. Immelt, the CEO of General Electric. Brandon was selected for the award by a unanimous vote of the AFCF Board of Directors. He will be honored at the Foundation's CEO Coach of the Year Dinner, held at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York, N.Y., on December 18, 2007.

"David Brandon represents the style and substance of leadership that our profession strives to demonstrate to those we teach and lead," AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff said. "It was obvious to the American Football Coaches Foundation's CEO Coach of the Year Selection Committee and to the Board of Directors that Mr. Brandon exemplifies the kind of leadership that builds winning teams. Brandon learned valuable lessons of leadership while playing college football and observing great coaches. The American Football Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Foundation are very proud to honor David Brandon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Domino's Pizza, as the recipient of the 2007 CEO Coach of the Year Award."

Brandon has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Domino's since March 1999. He serves on the Boards of Directors of The TJX Companies, Inc., Burger King Corporation, Kaydon Corporation and Northwest Airlines. Prior to Domino's, Brandon was President and Chief Executive Officer of Valassis, Inc., a leading sales promotion company, where he worked in increasing levels of responsibility, for over 20 years. Brandon began his career at Procter & Gamble following his graduation from the University of Michigan, where he was the member of three Big Ten Championship Teams coached by the legendary Bo Schembechler. Brandon served an eight-year term on the Board of Regents for the University of Michigan and is now Regent Emeritus.

Brandon was honored to accept the award, and said, "I have developed and evolved my leadership philosophy over the years by tapping into life experiences that teach important lessons. I've tried to emulate leaders who I admire, many of whom have been closest to me...like my family and my coaches. Integrity and fair play, preparation, and working harder than the competition were things I learned playing football that apply to every situation I've encountered in business and in life."

"My very best life coach has always been my dad, who believes that people need to have a strong work ethic and a ‘purpose' to succeed in life and be happy. Another very influential figure in my life was my college football coach, Bo Schembechler. Bo passed away last year, and I miss him greatly. But, I always remember what he taught me: "You can never stay the same. You either get better ... or you get worse." This important lesson drives me to try to get better each and every day. I greatly appreciate being honored by the AFCF, and believe strongly in the mission of their organization. I am living proof of how great football coaches can mold young men into successful leaders. I dedicate this award to all of the great coaches I had over the course of my life, including my Dad; my high school coaches, Bob Keezer, Garvin Smith and Jim Rockel; and Coach Bo Schembechler."

In 2006, Brandon was honored as the Michigan Executive of the Year by the Wayne State University School of Business, and the Ernst & Young Master Entrepreneur of the Year. He is also heavily involved in many community and charitable organizations. Brandon is a former chairman of the Executive Advisory Board of the Michigan Urology Center; a Director of the Purple Rose Theatre, Vice Chairman of the Detroit Renaissance Board; member of the National Advisory Board of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation.

A 1974 graduate of the University of Michigan, Mr. Brandon was a member of three Big 10 champion football teams under past AFCA President Bo Schembechler. Born in Dearborn, Mich., in May 1952, he and his wife, Jan, reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Brandon's have three sons, Scott, Nick, and Chris, and a daughter, Carli.

The funds raised from the CEO Coach of the Year dinner will support the AFCF's education initiatives through the American Football Coaches Association's publications, website and national convention. More than 6,000 football coaches from all levels attend the national convention, and over 10,000 football coaches globally benefit through personal, technical and leadership development. Because of The Foundation, football coaches on all levels nationwide pay minimal membership dues and are never charged a convention fee.

The AFCF, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization was established by the American Football Coaches Association in 1998 to fund its education mission. Its specific responsibility is to seek contributions from a broad range of donors - friends, businesses, corporations, foundations and trusts, to support and implement existing AFCA educational programs; and, to develop exciting and dynamic new initiatives that will serve the coaches, the student-athletes, and the schools they represent. Contributions generated by The Foundation will ensure that the coaching community will continue to have the finest possible professional development and educational tools ... now and in the future.

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino's is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "DPZ." Through its primarily franchised system, Domino's operates a network of 8,449 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and more than 55 countries. The Domino's Pizza® brand, named a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine, had global retail sales of nearly $5.1 billion in 2006, comprised of $3.2 billion domestically and nearly $1.9 billion internationally. During the second quarter of 2007, the Domino's Pizza® brand had global retail sales of over $1.2 billion, comprised of nearly $755 million domestically and approximately $493 million internationally. Domino's Pizza was named "Chain of the Year" by Pizza Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry and is the "Official Pizza of NASCAR®." More information on the Company, in English and Spanish, can be found on the web at http://www.dominos.com/.

“Coach George Smith is not only an influence on young people, but the influence is multiplied many times in the beliefs of the young people he helped mold into amazing human beings. George is an outstanding coach, but more importantly, he is an outstanding gentleman.” —Tina Jones, Principal of St. Thomas Aquinas High School