Executive Connection:
Greg Provenzano, President, ACN

In this month’s Executive Connection, Direct Selling News Publisher and Editor in Chief John Fleming spoke to Greg Provenzano, President of ACN. To learn more about ACN and its innovative products, take a look at the Company Spotlight in the June issue of Direct Selling News.

JF: What is the one thing you enjoy most about being President of ACN?

GP: What I enjoy most is the daily contact I have with our representatives and employees, giving me a unique opportunity to positively impact people both personally and professionally. You just can’t put a price on that kind of satisfaction.

JF: ACN has been very successful under the leadership of its four founders. How do you complement each other?

GP: I believe that our success comes from the fact that we all have varying strengths and expertise that are complementary to each other. We work really well together as a team. Sure, we have differences, and in fact, I think these differences are what give us our strength. Regardless of where we start on a topic, we always finish with one voice. And most importantly, none of us has an unhealthy ego. We’ve never cared about titles or who gets the corner office; we just want to provide the best opportunity possible, and we are all willing to pitch in to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.

JF: How involved are you with ACN Representatives?

GP: I speak to our representatives on a daily basis. This is and always will be my first priority. Regardless of how busy my schedule is or even when I am traveling, not a day goes by that I am not communicating with the field. We also hold weekly conference calls with large groups of representatives and the other Founders and I spend face-to-face time with as many representatives as we can at each of our International training events. We get to know our representatives both personally and professionally. We want them to be better people as well as business leaders. I believe that this consistent communication provides our representatives with a feeling of accountability and also ensures their businesses are always experiencing the growth they deserve. It also provides me with insight into exactly what our representatives are feeling and experiencing—and this insight allows the other Founders and I to make better decisions.

JF: When are you happiest?

GP: I’m happiest when I am at home with my family, which is why the other Founders and I started ACN in the first place—so we, along with our many independent representatives, could enjoy true freedom of time. I’ve been married for 26 years and have three teenage children. It’s great when we can all have dinner together, just hang out and enjoy each other’s company. Those are the truly priceless moments.

JF: Is there one basic principle which has governed your leadership at ACN?

GP: I know that there are a lot of people depending on the decisions we make and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. The basic principle I believe in is simple: treat people the way you want to be treated. If at the end of the day you’ve done that, then it’s been a good day.

JF: What is your vision for ACN?

GP: My vision is to further expand the countries we’re in today, including adding Asia and Latin America. We want to continue to add additional product lines to the countries we are already in to provide our representatives with a complete product portfolio of telecommunication services people use today and will use in the future. And of course, we want to always strive to provide the best network marketing opportunity to help as many representatives as we can enjoy success.