FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766
jweisbord@franchise.org
@franchising411
Matthew Shay to Receive IFA Dennis Wieczorek Free Enterprise Award
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2016 – The International Franchise Association has announced that National Retail Federation (NRF) President and CEO Matthew Shay will receive the IFA Dennis Wieczorek Free Enterprise Award. The award will be presented during IFA’s Annual Convention, Jan. 29-Feb. 1 in Las Vegas, Nev.
In 2015, the IFA Board of Directors voted to reinstitute the former IFA Free Enterprise Award and rename it in honor of the contributions to franchising made by the late Dennis Wieczorek, IFA’s former general counsel. The award recognizes and honors a person or organization that has contributed extensively to advancing franchising and the free enterprise system.
Shay previously worked for IFA from 1993 to 2010, serving in various senior management positions. He became the association’s president in 2004 and added the CEO title in 2007. During his time as CEO, IFA adopted an aggressive public policy agenda that led to a series of initiatives to restore much-needed credit to cash-strapped retail and other franchise businesses during the recession of 2008/2009.
Since taking the helm at NRF in 2010, Shay has transformed NRF into Washington’s most powerful voice supporting the retail industry. NRF membership has more than doubled to 18,000, revenue has doubled and advocacy investments have grown significantly. He helped implement a new strategic plan for the organization that included the creation of the This is Retail industry perception campaign; NRF’s most successful annual convention in its 100-year history; and the expansion of the NRF Foundation, which awarded more than $1 million in educational scholarships during 2015.
Shay has been recognized by CEO Update as one of the top 50 nonprofit chief executives in Washington. He serves on numerous boards and committees, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the American Society of Association Executives where he serves as chair-elect of ASAE and chair of ASAE Foundation, Good360, So Others Might Eat, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Association Committee of 100.
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About the International Franchise Association
Celebrating 56 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 733,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 7.6 million direct jobs, $674.3 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.
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