Ashley Coneff is an interdisciplinary leader in Government Affairs and in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) with experience as a litigator, public servant, and lobbyist. She currently leads both the government affairs and impact teams at Inspire Brands, serving more than 3,400 franchisees and more than 32,000 restaurants. Her team engages in policy at all levels of government and inspires a 30+ billion company to be a better steward of the world’s resources and to better care for the communities they serve. She is well-known throughout the hospitality industry for her success in promoting and defending restaurant brands and small business and helping them achieve their sustainability and governance goals. Ashley also has demonstrated success in facilitating organizational process and change.
After graduating law school in her home state of Michigan, she began her career practicing law in prosecution and later at a business litigation firm. She then joined the Michigan Supreme Court as a liaison to legislative and executive branch agencies. Following success in both the public and private sectors, Ashley found her passion in the restaurant industry. She first joined the Domino's Legislative Affairs team, where she worked on both state and federal public policy, and after three years, she joined Dunkin' Brands in various progressing roles, culminating in Senior Director of Federal & State Government Affairs. When Dunkin' joined the Inspire Brands portfolio in December 2020, she was promoted to Vice President of Government Affairs and ESG, where she now leads the lobbying efforts of all seven brands as well as ESG strategy for the second-largest restaurant company in the United States.
Ashley serves as a Board Member of the National Restaurant Association, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and the National Council of Chain Restaurants. She also serves as a steering group member of Serving Europe, an organization which represents food and beverage chains in Europe. Finally, Ashley serves on the board of the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, which works to bring the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness.
One of the reasons Ashley is passionate about the restaurant industry is the opportunities that it provides to many in need. Ashley is engaged in a multitude of career development initiatives, both related to Inspire Brands and external to her career there. One in which Ashley finds fulfilment is her participation as a mentor in Inspire Brands’ Igniting Dreams program which aims to promote upward mobility for restaurant team members. Ashley was also selected as one of ten Find Your Grind mentors, a curriculum designed to change the conversation around career exploration, focusing on social emotional learning, equipping students with the tools and confidence to be future ready in this ever-changing modern world.