PROFILE
Alan Guinn is a successful businessman, author and entrepreneur with extensive expertise in Franchising and International Licensing. He has been involved in the startup, operation, and development of businesses from small retail entities to large, multi-national corporations. He serves on Advisory Boards in several different countries, as well as acting as an advisor to a Pharmaceutical firm in Uganda, a Software firm in Vietnam and a Focus Group consultant for a major telecom provider in Finland.

His many accomplishments and postings include a nearly ten-year tenure with PepsiCo developing that company's fast food franchise systems throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East and a subsequent seven-year tenure developing international franchised and licensed systems with Wendy's, ending as a Vice President. He has experience both in consulting and financial services, including the raising of venture capital.

Mr. Guinn’s experience in franchise development and international licensing is extensive and includes development for Haagen Dazs, Pudgie’s Chicken, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, and most recently, the international development of the 1-800-FLOWERS franchise.

SPECIFIC SKILLS
Mr. Guinn has been directly responsible for the Operations Coordination of worldwide offices of Pizza Hut — in AustralAsia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. In this position, he was responsible for all support to the Managing Directors of the regional offices of Pizza Hut worldwide. As a result of his efforts, he was appointed to a Director’s position at PepsiCo. His direct Franchise and License responsibilities included Canada, the Caribbean, and Northern South America. During this period, he resided outside the USA.

Throughout his career, he has consulted, sourced, identified, and developed International Franchisees and Licensees with Wendy’s, Haagen-Dazs, 1-800-FLOWERS, and CashPoint Network—in the Americas, in Europe and in South America. His network of contacts worldwide is extensive.

TECHNOLOGY ORIENTED BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Mr. Guinn has also served as consultant and advisor to the start up Latin American portal Activ-Ecommerce, which moves mid-sized businesses to the web, within the borders of Latin America and the Caribbean basin, offering bricks and mortar businesses integration opportunities. In addition, he currently serves as a consultant for e-cross selling opportunities to one of the largest multinational insurance companies, which is expanding into Russia and India.

RETAIL EXPERIENCE
In addition to the Retail experience described previously, Alan fulfilled a Senior Management role in an oversubscribed non-dot.com IPO, and was instrumental in the development of the IPO from the S1 to the Analyst presentations.

EDUCATION
Alan’s first undergraduate work was at the University of Tennessee, with an undergraduate degree from Tennessee Tech, in Cookeville, TN, and his graduate work was at Henley Management College, at Greenlands, UK.