Frank Van Wezel was born in Vlissingen, Holland, where he spent his childhood and adolescence. He was the youngest student in his year at Nyenrode Business University (www.nyenrode.nl) from where he graduated with honors before fulfilling his National Service obligations as a Lieutenant in the Dutch Air Force.

Upon leaving the Air Force, he worked and studied in London and Paris, after which he lived in East Africa for 10 years before being eventually transferred to Essex in England. His love of Squash and Tennis led to his involvement in the sports shoe industry where he was instrumental in the introduction of the first specialist Squash shoe, which subsequently led to the creation of Hi-Tec Sports PLC. Now more than 16 million pairs of the first shoe, still commercialized even today, have been sold.

From humble beginnings in 1974, the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in June 1988. In 2000, Chairman Van Wezel decided to privatize the company once again because he felt stifled by the demands of short-term profit goals of being a public company.

Hi-Tec Sports now enjoys worldwide recognition as being one of the world leaders in sports footwear with distribution in 100 countries and subsidiary Companies in UK, Canada, USA, South Africa, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Germany, Benelux, Scandanavia and Poland. The company currently employs approximately 500 employees and generates global sales of more that $250 million.

In 1998, Mr. Van Wezel was elected a Life Vice President of the Squash Rackets Association in the UK, an honor bestowed for the first time by the Association in recognition of the services he has rendered to the game of Squash worldwide. Recently, Mr. Van Wexel accepted a position as a founding member of the Faculty Advisory Board of the University of Bath's School of Management.

Frank Van Wezel and his family have lived in the Southend area for more than 30 years, and is blessed with two daughters and one son. His son-in-law and son work in the Magnum side of the business, with Paul Brooks as Brand President of Magnum, whilst his son, Edward, is the Global Brand Director. This sport loving Dutchman enjoys Soccer, Tennis, Squash, Skiing and Golf. He is a Director of his local professional soccer team, Southend United, and is also a sponsor of the Southend Rugby Club.