Fortress Financial Group, Inc. – Appointment

Press Release Summary: Les Smiedt joins Fortress Financial Group, Inc. to head the Company’s Marketing and Advertising

Press Release Body: NEW YORK, NY, January 18, 2008 Fortress Financial Group, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: FFGO confirms that the Company has appointed Mr Les Smiedt as a Marketing and Advertising Consultant to the Company with immediate effect. Mr Smiedt has entered into a five year contract with the Company, a copy of which is being filed shortly; on a Form 8-K with the SEC.

The Form 8-K filing will contain all of the details of Mr Smiedt’s remuneration and incentive package with the Company.

Leslie (“Les”) Smiedt, Age 55, is an inventor with extensive experience in the manufacture and marketing of new and innovative products. Les has become a “guru” in the fields of marketing, promotion, advertising and product awareness, primarily through the use of “cutting edge” internet technologies. He has patented numerous inventions that range from sophisticated electronics to household and personal care items. In his early career, he developed high-end sound systems and he designed amplification and lighting units for theatres and clubs.

As an entrepreneur, he has owned retail establishments, ranging from musical instruments, electronic equipment to musicians and top-of-the-line sound systems for automobiles. He developed the unique method of airbrushing designs on to fabric in partnership with the art and photograph lecturer at Horsley Art College in London.

Along with Professor Mel Siff, the head of physics and sports medicine at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa; he designed and developed electronic muscular stimulating device for sports training. This product was marketed world wide for sports and medical use. This device was the for runner of the T.E.N.S unit sold today

Les formed a company called Trade Syndicate International specifically to market the numerous products and concepts he designed and developed. These products were highly successful and many Worldwide Patents were granted in his name over the last 20 years including high tech electronics, alternate building materials, advertising systems, electronic beauty aides, and automatic cooling system for soda cans. He has consulted on projects with large international companies relating to project design and marketing strategies. Such as Park a Bike a bike stand that also has advertising displays. Xycut, devise for monitoring the payment of cars that are paid monthly and enables the vehicle to be deactivated when no payment is made Les, with two partners invested in a Mineral Water Developments Company; whereby they developed a new and unique method of producing mineral quality drinking water from seawater. Les was part of this highly successful management team, which manufactured and installed these units around the world.

Les relocated to Los Angeles to team up with the Creative Enterprises International Group to market and distribute unique high-quality products marketed under the brand “Zepter”.

In 2004, Les patented a unique method of securing shipping containers and developed a RFID hand held reader with GPS and GPRS enabling this patent to track containers worldwide wirelessly and on the web. He recently signed an exclusive distribution deal for the US with RFIDGS and is retained by them for marketing

Les has worked with specialist to make sure that all the advantages of advertising and marketing on the net are utilized and optimized such as Email Marketing, Local Adworks, Industry Solutions, e-Commerce Solutions, e-Marketing Solutions, Advance Fast Track Featured Links, Search Engine Optimization and many more unique methods of bring attention to the products while doing all the background Analytics, diagnostics and careful observation of the marketing process

Les has focused and specialized in the use of the internet and specialized marketing and advertising companies, on a global basis, on a very extensive basis for over ten years to successfully market many of the products; patented and developed by himself. Les is a specialist in Marketing, Advertising and Promotion of branded products and with a unique knowledge of the use of the Internet for “getting the message to the world”. Les specializes in Search Engine Optimization, viral marketing and other vital and unique internet marketing tools, required for world class branding and driving internet traffic. Les has a global network of specialist focused companies; with whom he is partnered; in these vital sectors of marketing, advertising, promotion and internet marketing technologies.

Les Smiedt brings his vast experience and expertise in branding and marketing to our Company; ensuring that our Company achieves maximum consumer awareness of our products, particularly through the use of Internet driven marketing and advertising.

Alan Santini, the Chief Executive Officer of Fortress Financial Group, Inc. commented “that he was delighted to announce Les Smiedt’s appointment to our Management Team, given Les’s invaluable skill and experience; coupled with his specialty being internet driven marketing. Les would be responsible for the planning, overseeing and implementing the Company’s Marketing and Advertising campaigns; as well as the branding and card product launches, with immediate effect”.

Alan Santini commented further “that with the Company’s plans to expend the vast majority of its marketing and advertising budget on Internet driven marketing; Les Smiedt’s wealth of experience, knowledge and connections in this field; would be of incalculable value to the Company’s plans for a rapid roll out of a number of branded Debit Card products over the next few months”.

About Fortress Financial Group, Inc.
Fortress Financial Group, Inc. is primarily engaged in the issuing and marketing of prepaid debit and credit card and related payment solution activities. It has just announced the acquisition of Moneyworx, Inc., a reseller of MasterCard prepaid USA Domestic and International Prepaid Debit Cards. The Company will have no less than twelve individually branded and tailored Debit Cards within the next two months.

Fortress Financial Group, Inc. will be launching its own label “Fortress” International Debit Card in the first quarter of 2008.

The Company operates through Fortress Card Solutions, Inc. and Moneyworx, Inc. The Company will be shortly be establishing an office in Nassau, Bahamas; primarily to service our High Net Worth “offshore” cardholder base.

Fortress Financial Group, Inc. (formerly Great West Gold, Inc.), was a gold mining exploration stage company, engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties in the United States. The Company retained these Gold Mining Exploration interests as portfolio assets; as it intended to extract value from these assets through a future “spin off” or a sale. The Company has now disposed of its interests in the “Ambassador”, “Golden Eagle” and “Mockingbird” Gold Mining Exploration properties to Hunt Gold Corporation (PINKSHEETS : HGLC); and holds approximately 48% of Hunt Gold Corporation shares of outstanding Common Stock, as an investment.

The Company retains it interest in the “South Copperstone”, and “Bouse” Gold Mining Exploration properties, at this time. It is expected that these two remaining interests will be exchanged for shares of Common Stock in a USA Gold Mining & Exploration Company, within the next six weeks.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a companies' annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the SEC.

Web Site: http://www.fortfinancegroup.com

Contact Details: Fortress Financial Group, Inc.
Alan Santini
Chief Executive Officer

investor@fortfinancegroup.com

Tel: (954) 840-6961

1903 60th Place E.
Suite M2240
Bradenton
Florida
34203
USA