The founder and Chairman of Belvoir has been awarded the honorary British Franchise Association (bfa) position as Director of International Affairs.

In this role Mike Goodard, who established residential lettings franchise in 1995, will promote ethical franchising on a global scale. Goddard said: “After three years as Chairman of the bfa I felt that constitutionally the time had come for me to move on and the bfa then offered me the role of Director for International Affairs. This is an honorary position rather than a paid appointment, but I was keen to give something back to the world of franchising and this seemed to be a perfect vehicle to effectively use my experience with Belvoir and bring it onto the world stage.

“The World Franchise Council (WFC) meets twice a year in different member countries and so far I have attended meetings in Seoul in South Korea and more recently in Berlin. The aim of the WFC is to promote ethical franchising worldwide and to share good ideas in the franchising community. All the major countries of the world are represented, from the largest member country, which is the USA to the smallest, which is Lebanon.

“I am also a member of the European Franchise Federation (EFF), which meets in Berlin, and seeks to promote and defend franchising within the European Union.

“My role as Director of International Affairs is very enjoyable, but also challenging, because it involves working with other countries, lobbying government and trying to network with as many members as possible to share best franchising practice from all around the world. I firmly believe that Belvoir will ultimately grow and develop into an international brand.”

Published: 28 June 2011

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