Retail News CRM

Tag: retail governance

  • Best World CEO Dora Hoan Elected Chair of Global Direct Selling Body

    Best World CEO Dora Hoan Elected Chair of Global Direct Selling Body

    Best World International co-founder Dora Hoan has been elected chair of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations at the organization’s 18th world congress in Incheon, South Korea.

    Hoan makes history as the first executive from the Asia-Pacific region to head the federation across its 48-year history.

    The appointment, confirmed during the event running from Oct 19 to 21, places the co-chairman and global chief executive of Singapore-headquartered Best World atop the global industry body as direct sellers navigate artificial intelligence and shifting consumer habits.

    Governance and Regulatory Scrutiny

    Direct selling networks face heightened oversight across regional consumer markets, particularly in Asia where regulators scrutinise multi-level distribution structures and product claims. Hoan’s tenure will focus on engagement with state authorities, consumer protection standards, compliance frameworks and the controlled use of digital tools including artificial intelligence.

    Traditional direct sellers must also defend margins against social commerce platforms that replicate distributor networks without the structural overhead. Operators in the segment increasingly confront digital distributors that use algorithmic targeting rather than personal sales relationships to shift personal care stock.

    Distributor Demographics and Digital Shift

    Younger demographics form the backbone of modern Asian direct sales channels. Within the group’s subsidiary Best World Lifestyle, 69 per cent of distributors are women aged 44 and below, a distribution base Hoan identified as critical for female economic participation and flexible work arrangements.

    Maintaining distributor retention while deploying automated selling tools presents the operational friction. Hoan addressed the balance during the Incheon congress, stating that the sector must adopt digital technologies without discarding the personal contact that drives consumer loyalty.

    “We are not in a hurry to become bigger,” she noted. “What matters to us is becoming better.”

    Expansion Across Regional Markets

    Hoan and Doreen Tan founded Best World in 1990 as a regional distributor of personal care, health supplements and skincare items. The enterprise subsequently built cross-border distribution channels that now cover 27 markets.

    The operational priority for the trade federation shifts toward establishing consistent compliance baselines across national associations. Member companies across Southeast Asia and East Asia will monitor how Hoan’s regulatory discussions alter consumer sales standards and local licensing requirements over her term.

  • Franchise Council of Australia Elects Marcel Lal as Chair

    Franchise Council of Australia Elects Marcel Lal as Chair

    The Franchise Council of Australia board has elected Marcel Lal of ERA as chair and Concept Eight’s Callum Mackay as deputy chair for a one-year term.

    Both Lal and Mackay have served two years on the FCA board, with Lal having featured in the Top 30 Franchise Executives report in 2019 and 2023.

    Executive Track Record Across Multi-Unit Brands

    Lal brings 18 years of franchise sector experience to the post. He currently serves as global group chief development officer at ERA. Before joining ERA, he worked as global chief operating officer at InXpress, having previously spent five years as chief executive officer for Asia Pacific and one year as general manager for Australia and New Zealand.

    Mackay serves as general manager of innovation and virtual brands at hospitality group Concept Eight. His operating background includes senior management roles at Sushi Sushi, six years with Retail Zoo, and four years at convenience chain 7-Eleven.

    Restructuring Governance and Board Diversity

    The reconstituted board includes three elected women directors and two dedicated franchisee positions. These structural changes follow a two-year campaign aimed at resetting internal controls and restoring confidence across regional networks.

    Lal said the council has completed its initial stabilization agenda. Resources will now shift toward industry education and sector visibility. The organization plans to use its revised framework to expand outreach to multi-unit operators across regional retail corridors.

    Expanding Franchisee Engagement Across States

    For brands and franchisors across the region, leadership stability at peak industry associations directly affects regulatory lobbying, dispute mediation standards, and compliance benchmarking. Australia’s franchising code remains one of the strictest regulatory environments in Asia-Pacific. It sets operational precedents that franchise systems frequently replicate in nearby expansion markets.

    Mackay emphasized that expanding direct participation by unit operators is central to stabilizing the membership base. The council intends to roll out targeted regional programs before channeling delegates toward larger industry gatherings.

    “We’ve spent the last two years rebuilding trust among the membership base, and getting constitutional change was a line in the sand moment.”

    Focus on National Franchising Convention Targets

    This leadership transition follows two years of constitutional adjustments designed to balance voting power between major franchisors and local store operators. Earlier governance friction had prompted calls for broader representation, leading directly to the current boardroom restructure.

    State-level events will now test the council’s revised membership strategy, building attendance targets for the upcoming National Franchising Convention.