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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEST HARTFORD, CT (October 2022) — Michael Seid, founder and Managing Director of MSA Worldwide, the leading strategic and tactical advisory company in franchising, has been re-elected to the International Franchise Association’s Board of Directors as the Chief Concept Officer of Social Franchisors CFW Clinics (CFW) and One Family Health (OFH). “I am honored that the IFA has asked me to serve on the board as a Social Franchisor. It is an acknowledgement by the world’s leading franchise association of the work franchising and the IFA is doing to help solve some of the most critical issues facing the world’s poorest citizens.” says Seid.
CFW and OFH, based in Kenya and Rwanda, are Social Franchisors of close to two hundred franchisee-owned medical clinics. Based in peri-urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, the combined franchise systems have served over ten million patients since their founding in 2000. “Our clinics are independently owned and operated by women who are Kenyan and Rwandan nurses. We are proud of the performance of CFW and OFH and the amazing work of our franchisees in providing quality health care and authentic medicines in underserved markets,” said Seid.
Michael’s active role as Managing Director of MSA Worldwide is unchanged, as his continuing work with CFW and OFH, and as Chairman Emeritus of the IFA’s Social Sector Task Force remain a significant part of MSA’s pro bono practice.
Michael previously served on the IFA’s board for a combined total of over thirteen years and was the first supplier ever directly elected to the IFA’s Board of Directors. During that period, as Chairman of the IFA’s Supplier Forum he also served as a member of the IFA’s Executive Committee, and continues to serve on several IFA committees.
Social Franchising is a relatively new adaptation of commercial franchising’s methods, and uses the structures, support, and standards of commercial franchising to deliver essential products and services (healthcare, safe drinking water, sanitation, clean energy, education, etc.) to people in the developing world at the Base of the Economic Pyramid (BOP).
“Social franchisors, like traditional NGOs, provide the products and services that low-income populations need – not simply want – to survive,” says Seid. “As with commercial franchisors, social franchise systems use the same structures, consumer standards, supply chain, training, and support systems as commercial franchisors, but modified for a very challenging economic and societal environment.”
Since 2008 the International Franchise Association has supported the development of Social Franchising thorough the work of the IFA’s Social Sector Task Force. The Task Force is currently chaired by Marla Rosner, MSA’s Senior Learning and Development Consultant and vice-chaired by Peter Holt, President and CEO of The Joint Chiropractic, an 800-plus franchise clinic system.
MSA Worldwide designs, develops, supports, and expands emerging commercial brands to become franchisors – domestically and internationally. MSA is also celebrated for its strategic advice and tactical services to established franchised brands, including in supporting the development of their training programs, operating manuals, franchisee recruitment, franchisee relations, mergers and acquisitions, change strategies, litigation support, and expert witness services on a global basis.
In addition to his active work as a Social Franchisor, Michael is a member of the External Advisory Board of The Ohio State University Global Water Institute and has also worked on several international social franchise projects, including the development of birthing centers in Ghana.
Michael is an Adjunct Professor at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and teaches a graduate course of studies on Commercial and Social Franchising. He has published numerous articles on franchising; is a frequent speaker on franchising; and is the co-author of Franchising for Dummies, with the late Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy’s International, and Franchise Management for Dummies with co-author Joyce Mazero, Esq., partner at Polsinelli, both published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. He has also authored Making the Franchise Decision, a prospective franchisee due diligence workbook, to assist prospective franchisees in their evaluation and selection of franchise opportunities.
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