WFI was founded in July 1966 and was officially incorporated on July 19, 1979. The original Articles of Incorporation state the purpose is "to provide a center for the exchange of information and ideas between the various National Associations."

The Founding Documents further state: "The Association shall have the common purpose of assisting and furthering the organization and promotion of investment education associations in all the countries of the world; to further the cause of wider share-ownership and to advance investment education on a worldwide scale for the betterment of individuals, families, and nations through an international exchange of investment and economic knowledge and the mutual exchange of information and assistance between the member-countries and between individuals and groups in each such country."

To accomplish its mission, WFI provides a variety of programs to its members. These include:

Organizing a bi-annual convention hosted by a member country. Convention topics include investment education and investment information about the host country.

Assisting organizations in non-member countries with the formation of investor federations and membership in WFI.

Offering seminars on investment education and formation of investment clubs.

Establishing rules for the fair treatment of investors worldwide (WFI Investors Rights).

WFI By-Laws (Approved 2016)       WFI Investors Rights

Lars-Erik Forsgårdh, Ph.D.
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WFI Auditor and Advisor
Immediate Past-Chairman WFI
Past CEO Swedish Shareholders' Assn
Past Chairman Swedish Institute of Directors and Ecoda
Past Director of Swedish Stock Exchanges
Chairman Swedish Foundation of Share Promotion

Roger H. Ganser
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Chairman World Federation of Investors
Chairman Supervisory Board, Stichting Volkswagen Investors Claim
Past Chairman National Association of Investor Corporations-Betterinvesting
Member Investor Issue Committee, USA Financial Industry Regulator Authority (FINRA)
Member International Stock Exchange Executive Emeriti
Founder Venture Investors LLC
Past Member USA Security Exchange Commission (SEC) Investor Advisory Committee
Past Member New York Stock Exchange Individual Investor Advisory Committee

Jean-Pierre Paelinck, Ph.D.
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Ph.D. in Economic Scienses (University of Ghent) with a dissertation on "Banking Concentration in Europe"
Secretary General and President World Federation of Investors
Dean Consular Corps of East- and West-Flanders
Starting in 1963 career in banking (Generale Bank, International Westminster Bank, Banque Commerciale de Bruxelles); followed by a decade as Secretary General of the Federation of European Stock Exchanges; another decade as Secretary General of Euroshareholders; while lecturing since 1980 at the Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Liège (HED-Ecole de Gestion de l'Université de Liège, "International Economics") and at the Università degli Studi di Bergamo (also for 10 years)

Aldo Sicurani, WFI Vice-President and Treasurer
Secrétaire Général, Fédération des Investisseurs Individuels & des Clubs d'Investissement (F2iC - France)

Frank Fumio Kaneko, WFI Vice-President
Director, SeLeNet (Japan)

Attorney Wilfred Hübscher, WFI Vice-President
Past CEO, Berlin Stock Exchange, Germany

Dr. Henning Wegener
Past German Ambassador to Spain and past Sec. Gen. AEMEC–Spanish Association of Minority Shareholders of Listed Companies (Associación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas)

Aleksey Smirnov
Vice–President USIR (Union of Shareholders and Investors of Russia)

Ayse Findik
Publisher/Editor, Communications Director, BORYAD, Turkey

Elizavéta Lindström
Secretary General, World Federation of Young Investors, Sweden

Advocate Hachem Boulos, Advocacy Committee Chairman

Andora — SM Avocats, Gema Martinez Martinez and Ana Solé I Agusti

Argentina — National Network, Dr. Gabriel Trajtenberg

Australia — Australian Shareholders' Association

Austria — Austrian Shareholders Association (IVA — Interessenverband für Anleger)

Azerbaijan — Dr. Fuad Shahvaliyev

Belgium — Advocatenkantoor Marc Callant

Belgium — Association de consommateurs-épargnants Carat-Pattes

Brazil — TradeNetwork Participaçöes

Brazil — EF Corporation, Law Office Elisa Junqueira Figueiredo and Francisco Petros

Bulgaria — Dr. Angel Marchev

Cameroon — Organization of Defense of Minority Shareholders of Cameroon (Organisation de Défense des Actionnaires Minoritaires du Cameroun)

Canada — ShareOwner Education, Inc.

Canada — Federation ACTIF

Côte d'Ivoire — EIC Corporation

Denmark — Danish Shareholders Association (Dansk Aktionærforening)

Finland — Finnish Shareholders Federation (Osakesäätäjien Keskusliitto ry)

France — Federation of Individual Investors and Investment Clubs (Fédération des Investisseurs Individuels and des Clubs dInvestissement (F2iC France)

Gabon — EIC Corporation, Jacquelin Yavo

Germany — Attorney Wilfred Hübscher

Greece — Alphatrust, Dr. Phaedon Tamvakakis

Greese — Alpha Trust

Guatemala — Devenga

Hong Kong, (China) — Hong Kong Institute of Investors

Iceland — Iceland Shareholders Association

India — Society for Consumers and Investors Protection (Regd)

Italy — New Savers, Paolo Brambilla, Iacopo Destri, Chiara Zaraga, Michela Longari

Japan — SeLeNet (Self Enjoy Learning Networking)

Kenya — Kenya National Association of Share & Stockholders

Lebanon — Hachem Fares Boulos

Lithuania — Investors Association (Lithuania)

Lithuania — Lithuanian Shareholders Association (Lietuvos Investuotojai)

Luxembourg — Raymond Goebbels

Luxembourg — Vincent J. Derudder

Macedonia, TFYR — Civil Association for Protection of Shareholders - Akcioner

Malta — Malta & Gozo Investors Association

Moldova, Republic of — Issuers Monitoring of the National Commission of Financial Market of Republic of Moldova

Netherlands — AKD, Patrick Haas

Nigeria — Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PROSAN)

Norway — Investor Community in Norway (Aksjonærforeningen i Norge)

Philippines — Investors Association of the Philippines

Poland — Individual Investors Association (Stowarzyszenie Inwestorów indywidualnych)

Portugal — Association of Technical Analysts and Investors Capital Market (Associação dos Investidores e Analistas Técnicos do Mercado de Capitais — ATM)

Romania — Romanian Shareholders Association

Romania — Gratiela Denisa Iordache

Russia (Russian Fed.) — Union of Shareholders and Investors (USIR)

Serbia — Law Office Rajko Maric

Singapore — Securities Investors Association

Slovenia — PanSlovenian Shareholders’ Association (Vseslovensko združenje malih delničarjev — VZMD)

South Africa — Albert & Sons Trading

Spain — AEMEC – Spanish Association of Minority Shareholders of Listed Companies (Asociación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas)

Sweden — Swedish Shareholders Association (Sveriges Aktiesparares Riksförbund — SARF)

Thailand — Thai Investors Association

Turkey — BORYAD (BORYAD Borsa Yatirimcilan Dernegi)

United Kingdom — ShareSoc

United States — National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC)

United States — Lawyer Lawrence Sucharow