David Kiger, the founder of Worldwide Express, began operating the company out of his spare bedroom in Houston, Texas, with a mere $5,000.00 and a smart business plan. He has led Worldwide Express since the beginning, overseeing all aspects of the business including the strategic and tactical vision. Kiger was also the principal architect of the recapitalization of Worldwide Express with Allied Capital (ALD) completed in 2007. He serves on the Board of Directors and owns the CBD franchise in Dallas, Texas.

Prior to launching Worldwide Express, Kiger was with the Trammell Crow Company in Houston, where he oversaw commercial retail marketing and leasing. Before joining Trammell Crow Company, he was employed by Baxter Healthcare, a Fortune 100 healthcare company based in Chicago, Illinois. Kiger earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama.

Tom Madine joined Worldwide Express in 1997 as a franchise owner. He owns numerous franchises throughout the Midwest that are consistently recognized as top performers. He brought his extensive knowledge of franchising and real-world experience as a Worldwide Express franchisee to our corporate headquarters in 2006 and was named President in 2010.

Prior to joining WWE, Madine enjoyed an extensive sales career at Allnet Communications, a nationwide provider of telecommunications services. He holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Virginia.

Rob Rose joined Worldwide Express in 2001 as a franchise owner in Atlanta, Georgia making subsequent acquisitions there and in Richmond, Virginia. His franchise group has earned recognition for top tier growth multiple times, which made him the perfect candidate to serve as a member and former President of the Franchise Advisory Council. He has significant experience in negotiating and closing acquisition and working capital financing.

Rose brings an impressive sales and financial background to Worldwide Express. Prior to joining the company, he was Sprint’s Regional VP of Sales in the E|Solutions group and he held the same position earlier with Qwest Communications in Denver. He began his career as a CPA with Coopers & Lybrand in Richmond, Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance from the University of Richmond and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Mike Grayson began his career at Worldwide Express as a franchise owner in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003. Since then, his organization has grown to include five additional markets in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Grayson has served in a myriad of capacities including President of the Franchise Advisory Council from 2005 to 2007.

In May 2008, he joined the corporate office as Vice President of Franchise Operations. Now, as Senior Vice President of Operations, Grayson oversees the development and maintenance associated with the carrier portfolio including creating accounts, billing and invoicing, implementing new carriers and project management.

As a franchise owner himself, Grayson understands how to navigate the idiosyncrasies of franchises. It’s this kind of insight that he uses to motivate regardless of the individual drivers. Grayson came to Worldwide Express from DMG Properties, an Athens, Georgia real estate development and management firm he helped co-found. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University and an MA degree at Georgia State University.

Sean O’Shaughnessy joined Worldwide Express in January 2011 as Senior Vice President of Business Strategy. In this position, he will be heavily involved with managing our carrier relationships with UPS throughout the United States.

Prior to joining Worldwide Express, O’Shaughnessy was the former Vice President of UPS Retail Services responsible for the strategy, oversight, and management of UPS’s relationships with their franchised, proprietary and external sales and distribution channels. In addition, he oversaw UPS’s Third-Party Retail sales channels and Corporate Affinity programs.

O’Shaughnessy was employed with UPS for 33 years and held a wide variety of domestic and international Corporate and Regional assignments in both Sales and Marketing. He graduated from Niagara University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Science.

Furthermore, his charitable interests include, former member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta Board of Directors, Special Olympics, and UPS’s Neighbor to Neighbor program. Association memberships include, The Global Executive, American Marketing Association, Retail Industry Professionals Group, Retail Industry Leadership, and Network Atlanta.

Paul Birkhead’s history with Worldwide Express goes back to 2001 when he became a franchisee. He has been awarded the President’s Circle Award, Most Improved Franchise, Top Ten Growth Award in 2004 and the 2005 Special Recognition Award. In 2003, he was hired as a technical consultant for the corporate office and became the Senior Vice President of Technology in January 2009.

Birkhead guides the planning, development and management of our technology platforms—a monumental role in our company and industry. He has an extensive background in the field and puts it to use helping WWE and our franchisees use technology to improve their day-to-day processes, expanding access to information, teaching and coaching colleagues on how to use technology to its full potential and helping our entire network grow.

Prior to joining Worldwide Express, Birkhead was a Global Account Manager for Artesyn Technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from DePauw University and earned his MBA from the University of Michigan.

In 2001, Brendan Newman started his career with Worldwide Express in the Chicago area. After winning several awards as an Account Executive and then as a District Sales Manager, he started his own franchise in Detroit, MI in 2005. He built the franchise from zero to over a $2.5 Million business in 2 years.

In March 2007, Newman joined the corporate office as a Director of Sales; he oversees the sales program for the organization, conducting sales trainings for the sales team and sales managers. In addition, he is often traveling to offices nationwide to help grow their respective businesses.

In early 2012, Newman was promoted to VP of Sales to continue to develop and expand the sales program at WWE. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa.

Dustin Wesley joined Worldwide Express in 2005 as a sales executive in the St. Louis market where he contributed to significant revenue growth. In 2006, Wesley was promoted to the Field Sales Development position and joined the corporate team at our headquarters in Dallas. In 2010, he became Director of Sales.

Wesley assists in the development and growth of franchise offices through communication with the owners, sales managers and account executives across the country, balancing in-office visits with corporate sales training.

Wesley has been recognized for numerous achievements, including the Worldwide Express 2007 Corporate Excellence Award. He began his career with WWE after graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree.