Franchise Business Leader James Amos Joins WSI Advisory Board

Press release date: 30-May-2006

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.”

About WSI
With a network of over 1500 offices in 87 countries, WSI is the leading provider of Internet solutions to small and medium sized businesses the world over. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, WSI provides affordable Internet related services and technologies that deliver maximum return on investment for businesses.
With the support and cooperation of its customers, franchise network, employees, suppliers and charitable organizations, WSI aims to help make child poverty history through its global outreach program.