Bill McGowan

Bill McGowan

Author/Guest Speaker/Business Consultant

Brief Biography

Bill McGowan was born and grew up in New Zealand and currently resides in Sydney with his family. Bill has been self-employed in various businesses since the early 70s and is now retired. He started and sold many businesses over the past 50 years. In early 1983, he established the award winning, franchised business known as Fastway Couriers.

Fastway became a household name in Australia and New Zealand in the transport and franchising sectors. The business was also developed internationally. When he started Fastway, he was shocked at how many potential franchises had no idea about running their own business, so he developed many franchise training programmes and manuals to assist them in understanding how to operate their own business.

Bill has spent considerable time being totally immersed and involved in the franchising sector and has held the following positions.

· Past Chairman of the World Franchise Council for three years and Australia's representative.

· Past Chairman of the Franchise Council of Australia National Board and NSW Chapter. Longest serving President of the NSW FCA Chapter.

· Developed the "First Step Dispute Resolution Process" for the Fastway Franchise Network which is now widely used and accepted within the franchising community.

· Global guest speaker and motivator within franchising and transport circles as well as within the business community in general throughout the world. (Guest speaker at Franchise conferences in 35 countries)

· Through the World Franchise Council Bill has also been involved in making Franchising submissions to numerous Countries, the European Union and Unidriot.

· Inducted to the Franchise Hall of Fame of Australia

· Awarded “Exemplary Role Model of the International Franchise Community.”

· Life member of the NZ Franchise association.

· Past chairman of the Australian Franchising Hall of Fame Committee.

He has also been involved in the general business community.

· Has been a past key spokesperson for the Transport Industry and Franchise sector - involved in making submissions to numerous International Governments.

· Past Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport.

· Past Fellow Member of the Institute of Directors

· Past Member of numerous Chambers of Commerce

· Founder of the HB Child Cancer Support Foundation and Children in Need, charity trusts.

When he semi-retired, he decided to put the knowledge he had learnt over the years into his book “Be Your Own Boss”.

Bill has extensive business experience and has been a guest speaker for many years at conferences & corporate events in over 30 Countries around the World, focusing on topics such as franchising, goal setting, growing sales, managing sales teams, team building, corporate change, motivation, marketing, recruitment, logistics, business& market place change, research and business planning.