 Dick and Doug DeVos Inducted into DSA Hall of Fame; Amway Co-Founder Rich DeVos Presented with Lifetime Achievement Award |
A record number of attendees—estimated to be more than 1,200—journeyed to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas, to participate in this year’s DSA Annual Meeting, held June 4–5.
The opening general session featured former President George W. Bush, who offered a very candid and specific explanation of the role leadership plays in decision making. Amway President Doug DeVos facilitated the session, resulting in audience members witnessing a very up close and personal conversation between the former President and the widely respected Amway leader.
In the second general session, DSA President Joseph Mariano conducted a very interactive panel discussion with industry CEOs, including John Addison, Primerica; Carl Daikeler, Beachbody; Doug DeVos, Amway; David Holl, Mary Kay; Cindy Monroe, Thirty-One Gifts; Orville Thompson, Scentsy; and Alessandro Carlucci, Natura, who currently serves as Chairman of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA). The session revealed the mindset of these leaders and their visions for how direct selling will continue to grow in its impact on the peoples and economies of the world.
The annual meeting featured content-loaded sessions and workshops that provided both new and seasoned direct sellers with stimulating information and ideas as well as new and best practices. Attendees were particularly interested in technology sessions, with any session containing the word social in its title resulting in standing room only crowds. However, while technology has changed the way many elements of direct selling are approached and executed, workshop leaders and presenters reminded attendees that the basic fundamentals of direct selling have not changed; in some cases, they are simply approached very differently.
On Tuesday evening, the DSA held a formal banquet during which awards and recognition were bestowed upon individuals who had made significant contributions to the industry. Jim Northrop, Principal of Winfield Consulting, and Sarah Baker Andrus, Director of External Relations and Academic Programs at CUTCO/Vector Marketing, both received the DSEF Circle of Honor Award.
The evening closed with two generations of DeVos leaders being recognized with the industry’s highest honors.
Dick and Doug DeVos, who have both served as President of Amway and Chairman of the DSA, were inducted into the Direct Selling Association’s Hall of Fame. What made the moment special was the presentation of the awards by their father, Amway Co-Founder Rich DeVos, who had been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.
It was a most historic moment when Rich DeVos was escorted to the stage. Audience members stood and broke into a thunderous ovation that continued for minutes. An industry icon was in the house; a consummate agent of change was about to speak. As expected, Rich DeVos did not simply present the awards to his two sons, but he also related the story of the industry, of Amway and, of course, of how his sons had guided his company to new heights through global expansion. It was a moment to remember—a very historic moment in the evolution of direct selling that will not soon be forgotten.
After the presentation of the Hall of Fame awards, DSA honored Rich DeVos with the Lifetime Achievement Award, only the second time the prestigious recognition has been bestowed on a direct seller. DeVos was recognized for his key role in strengthening direct selling and increasing its acceptance in the United States and throughout the world.
To view the Amway press release, click here.
