MRI Network - MRINetwork Franchise - Problems and Ethics
I created this site as someone who held a franchise with MRINetwork / MRI Network. They are a wholly owned subsidiary of CDI Corporation Inc. www.cdicorp.com (NYSE CDI). They are a global recruitment franchisor. I originally purchased a headhunting recruitment franchise in 1996 from Humana International Group (HIG). HIG was acquired by CDI Corporation Inc. in April 1999 and integrated into their recruitment franchise to develop their global capability. Shortly after this acquisition by CDI Corporation, HIG was renamed Management Recruiters International Worldwide (MRIWW) and worked as one global organisation with franchised recruitment offices in many countries.
More recently, Management Recruiters International have re-branded this recruitment franchise to MRI Network / MRINetwork.
Read the facts and form your own opinion on the franchise ethics as demonstrated by MRINetwork, CDI Corporation, Roger H Ballou, Joseph R Seiders and Steve Mills
Franchise Advice
The purpose of this site is to share information and offer franchise advice, by discussing franchise ethics and franchisor ethics with other interested parties. I will explain the events that I, as a MRINetwork / MRI Network / Management Recruiters International franchisee, experienced whilst holding an MRINetwork franchise. This will be achieved by showing correspondence to Roger H Ballou (CDI Corp CEO) and referring to other factual issues that pertain to the events around those experiences. This also includes interaction with Steve Mills and Joseph R Seiders of CDI Corp. Some of the information will express my personal views on those events. However, I believe that my personal views are clearly stated as that, and I invite the readers to form their own unbiased views about the franchisor ethics based on the factual content of the following events, details and correspondence with MRINetwork and their parent company CDI Corporation.
MRI Network - Headline Facts:
MRINetwork had a UK franchisee, Mr JW, whose franchise contract expired in November 1999. At the time of CDI Corporation's acquisition (April 1999), he owed Management Recruiters International and their owners, CDI Corporation outstanding royalty payments of more than £31,785 UK Pounds (approx. $59,000 USD).
For the following years (1999 to 2003), MRINetwork / MRI Network continued to represent this person to the rest of the franchise network as a regular bone fide franchisee, in good standing. Read about the Years of franchisor misrepresentation.
Over the following years (1999 to 2003) whilst MRINetwork / MRI Network continued with this misrepresentation of Mr JW, his debt grew year on year.
For the majority of this time his Management Recruiters International franchise agreement had expired. In fact his franchise contract expired on 1st Nov 1999
I, as a real and genuine franchisee, started to inter work with Mr JW in the false belief that he was also a genuine franchisee. Steve Mills congratulated me in jointly winning the work with Mr JW and offering to share it with the rest of the franchised network (IOR). Only Steve Mills and others in the MRI Network / MRINetwork Corporate office and CDI Corporation knew that Mr JW had no franchise agreement and was in serious and growing debt. Steve Mills chose to keep that secret from me and continue with the deliberate deception about Mr JW, to the whole of the franchised network and to clients alike.
In March 2003 MRINetwork / MRI Network Management eventually informed the the franchisees that Mr JW was no longer part of the franchise network. This was approaching 3.5 years after his franchise agreement expired and over 4 years since he was up to date on his franchise Royalty payments.
At the time when MRINetwork / Management Recruiters International eventually declared that Mr JW was no longer part of the franchised network, his debts had grown to over £170,000 UK Pounds (approx. $316,000 USD).
Prior to this, he had already inter-worked worked with at least one other MRINetwork / MRI Network franchisee (masquerading as a regular franchisee ) and withheld money due to the real regular franchisee, in the same way that he had been withholding money from MRINetwork for years previously.
MRINetwork / MRI Network Misrepresentation/Fraud
I believe that MRINetworks choice to continue to represent an ex-franchisee, who was in extremely serious and mounting debt, as a regular bone-fide franchisee to all of the other MRINetwork franchisees to be deliberate misrepresentation and fraudulent as well as unethical franchising. Also that this constitutes grounds that a regular MRINetwork franchisee could use for termination of their franchise contract. MRINetwork Misrepresentation/Fraud
MRINetwork / MRI Network Breach of Contract
I believe that my MRINetwork franchise agreement was breached when they failed to fulfil their contractual franchise obligations. I also believe that all similar MRINetwork franchisees had their franchise contract breached. This would allow any other Management Recruiters International franchisee to walk away from their franchise agreements today if they wished to. Breach of Franchise Contract
Roger H Ballou's response - CDI Corporation
Read letters to Roger H Ballou (CDI Corp) and judge for yourself why he consistently refuses to address these ethical issues. Form your opinion on their ethics as a franchisor. Roger H Ballou's response
Joseph R Seiders' affidavit statements
Read Joseph R Seiders' (CDI Corp) affidavit and decide yourself if his statements made under oath are truthful and ethical. Read Joseph R Seiders Affidavit statements overview. Read the detail of Joseph R Seiders statements.
Is Roger H Ballou now in denial?
Read his statements made to CDI Corporation shareholders at his quarterly review on Thursday 26th July 2007 and form your own opinion on his truthfulness and ethics as a franchisor. Roger H Ballou Denial
MRI Network Misrepresentation.
Read about MRINetwork's years of misrepresentation and CDI Corporation's knowledge of the issues for years. Form your own opinion on their ethics as a franchisor. MRI Network Misrepresentation
Steve Mills denies responsibility - Ethics
Read how Steve Mills tried to sidestep responsibility and form your own opinion on his and MRINetwork franchise ethics.... Steve Mills denies responsibility
Franchise ethics - MRINetwork & CDI Corporation
Read the facts and form your own opinion on the ethics of MRINetwork / MRI Network and CDI Corporation. More to be added shortly.....