May 30, 2006 - Toronto, Canada. WSI (We Simplify
the Internet), the leading provider of Internet solutions to small
and medium sized businesses the world over and the #1 Internet
Services franchise is pleased to announce the appointment of James
(Jim) H. Amos to WSI’s Advisory Board of Directors.
“With his extensive and illustrious background
in franchise businesses, Jim makes a valuable addition to our
Board of Directors," announced WSI president Ron McArthur.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jim to the WSI team, as we know
his experience and contributions as a Board Member will help take
WSI to new heights.”
As Mr. Amos puts it, “With the exception
of my years in the US Marine Corps, my entire professional life
has centered on this amazing economic engine called franchising.”
His professional background and contribution to the franchising
industry more than live up to this statement. Jim was past Chairman
of the International Franchise Association (IFA) – the oldest
and largest association representing franchising in the United
States. Prior to joining the WSI Board, he was President and CEO
of Mail Boxes Etc (MBE), the world's largest franchisor of retail
postal and business services. There are more than 4,500 MBE locations
worldwide and Jim was responsible for taking the company through
its next level of development. His six year tenure at MBE culminated
in the successful acquisition of the company by UPS.
WSI is pleased to have such a distinguished and
experience writer joining the WSI family. Jim is a versatile author
and has written extensively on the franchise industry. He has
also written on a variety of other subjects. His book, “The
Memorial” written about his Vietnamese experience in the
US marine Corps was chosen by the American Librarian Association
as “one of the best books of the year” in 1990. “Focus
or Failure: America at the Crossroads”, his book about bringing
together corporate America to help children, led to the formation
of the ‘MBE Foundation for Children’s Initiatives’.
“We are truly honored to have Jim join the
WSI Advisory Board of Directors” , stated Tore Steen, the
chairman of the WSI Advisory Board. He further went on to say
“As one of the top 10 Global Franchises in the world, according
to Entrepreneur Magazine, WSI’s success can be largely attributed
to the exceptional caliber and professionalism of its International
network of Internet Consultants.
Ron McArthur explained this further; “WSI’s
knack for identifying the best-of-the-best lies in the company’s
unique and proprietary Franchise Selection Process. This process
has been designed to ensure that the characteristics of high performing
franchisees are used in attracting and selecting new WSI franchisees.
We look forward to Jim’s insights and direction on how we
can further enhance our value proposition to franchisees and customers
throughout the world. Jim’s extensive experience in the
franchising industry will help our team better understand and
leverage the best practices in our industry, allowing us to leap
frog the competitors into the next stage of our exponential growth.”