Four leading franchise professionals have been newly elected to the International Franchise Association Board of Directors and will assume their positions February 14, 2012, at the conclusion of the IFA 52ndAnnual Convention in Orlando.
"Our new board members are a great addition to our board, with each having decades of experience in the franchising industry and the association," says IFA Chairman Jack Earle, a multi-unit McDonald's franchisee. "Their leadership will be critical as we address the challenges before us, including advocating for pro-growth policies that will help franchise businesses expand and create jobs."
The new members were elected at the IFA Board of Directors meeting September 15, held during the association's annual Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. In addition, the board voted to re-elect to another term Liam Brown, Marriott Corporation; Rocco Fiorentino, Swiss Farm Stores; Margaret McEntire, Candy Bouquet; and Catherine Monson, FASTSIGNS.
The Board also re-elected Harry D. Loyle, CFE, chairman of ComForcare of Dayton, Ohio, and managing director of Cybeck Capital Partners, to the board and as IFA Treasurer.
The new IFA directors are:
- Doug Allison: vice president of Industry Relations & Communications, PepsiCo Foodservice
- Carlton L. Curtis: vice president of Industry Affairs, Foodservice, and Hospitality, Coca-Cola North America
- Aziz Hashim: president & CEO, National Restaurant Development Holdings
- Michael Seid: chief concept officer and a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of CFWshops, and managing director, MSA Worldwide
Doug Allison: For more than 26 years, Allison has managed numerous facets of the foodservice business for PepsiCo. Initially administering various bottler management responsibilities, he then assumed the day-to-day management of the foodservice bottling operations of the east Tennessee distribution facilities in 1989 through 1994. From there, Allison directed some of PepsiCo's largest restaurant accounts, including KFC in the late 90s, and went on to oversee the primary marketing responsibilities for PepsiCo for YUM brands. From 2000 to 2010, Alison led three national teams within PepsiCo's Foodservice Division. Allison assumed the role of vice president of industry relations and communications for PepsiCo's Foodservice Division in February of 2011. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baker University. He and his wife Cathy and their four children currently reside in Southlake, Texas.
Carlton L. Curtis: Curtis is the vice president of Industry Affairs for the Foodservice and Hospitality Division of Coca-Cola North America. He joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1972 in public relations, where he served in a variety of positions including vice president of Corporate Communications and Corporate Public Relations. He was appointed vice president and director of Worldwide Educational Marketing in 1994. In 1997, he was appointed vice president and executive assistant to the President of Coca-Cola USA, and in 2000, he was elected vice president and executive assistant to the president of The Coca-Cola Company. He was appointed to his current position in September 2003. Curtis currently serves as chairman of the board of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and serves on the executive committee of the National Restaurant Association. He is a member of the Hall of Fame of the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DIRONA). Curtis is a past trustee of the National 4-H Council. He is an emeritus trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation and is a past president of the University of Georgia's Alumni Association. Curtis and his wife Jan live in Greensboro, Georgia.
Aziz Hashim: Aziz Hashim is a highly regarded franchisee and executive in the U.S. restaurant and international retail space. Through expert risk identification and management, unique portfolio management strategies, and superior execution, Hashim has become a leading multi-state, multi-brand, and most recently, multi-national franchisee. He is the president and CEO of NRD Holdings, LLC (NRD), a U.S. company and Dandle, Inc., a Canadian pet-supply company. Hashim founded NRD in 1996 with one quick-serve location and has grown the company to more than 60 restaurants representing multiple brands including Popeyes, Domino's Pizza, and Checkers/Rally's Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. He expanded his franchise portfolio in 2010 adding Dandle, Inc., a retail pet-supply company. He has been featured, published, and quoted in several industry publications including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Aziz also serves on several boards including the Popeyes Foundation, the IFA Franchisee Forum, and the Multi-Unit Franchise Conference. He is deeply involved in community service and frequently contributes to the industry at large, sharing his knowledge and experience at major restaurant and franchise conferences. He attended the University of California at Irvine, graduating with honors from its prestigious electrical engineering program.
Michael Seid, CFE: Michael is chief concept officer and a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of CFWshops, a social sector franchisor in sub-Saharan Africa. He also serves on the board and executive committee of the HealthStore Foundation and One Family Health, which demonstrates his commitment to the use of business format franchising as a method to improving the human condition and have a world changing impact on poverty, diseases, and economic development. Michael is a frequent presenter at domestic and international conferences on the use of franchising technology in the social sector and has spoken at the Doha Economic Conference in Qatar on the use of franchising to create a middle class in the Middle East focused on dealing with the underlying economic causes of the Arab Spring. He currently serves as chairman of the IFA's Social Sector Franchising Task Force.
Michael is also founder and managing director of MSA Worldwide, a domestic and international franchise consulting firm. Michael is a member of Goldman Sachs' Chambers Street Executive Network, serves as an advisor to GS's Special Situations Group, and serves on the Board of Public Corporations.
In addition, he is a past chair of IFA's VetFran Committee and as past chair of IFA's Supplier Forum, he served on the IFA's board of directors and executive committee in 1997. He currently serves on the IFA Finance and Budget Committee, VetFran Advisory Board, and the President's Council, among several other IFA committees. He is a frequent speaker at programs for the IFA, IFA Educational Foundation, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, universities, law schools, retail, and professional organizations, and has published numerous articles and is the author of Franchising for Dummies, 2nd Edition published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. His co-author for Franchising for Dummies, 1st Edition, was the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's International. Michael is a very non-practicing CPA, licensed in New York state, and has earned the designation of Certified Franchise Executive (CFE).
