Click here to order the June 2015 issue in which this article appeared.
Each year, the Direct Selling News team embarks on an expansive research project designed to identify the 100 largest direct selling companies in the world. It’s a huge undertaking and one that I’m told many said couldn’t be done when DSN first set out on the journey. But here we are, six years later, pleased to deliver the 2015 Direct Selling News Global 100 list and, for the first time, the North America 50 list.
Inside you’ll find profiles on each of the Global 100 and North America 50 companies as well as in-depth analysis of the many growth stories the list contains. In our cover story, writer Andrea Tortora examines a group of young, fast-growing companies on the list to share some of the keys to their remarkable entrance onto direct selling’s global stage.
Writer Barbara Seale brings us an insightful profile on our Bravo Leadership Award winner, Ambit Energy CEO Jere Thompson Jr., who has earned a reputation as an innovative leader with the highest levels of integrity while building Ambit into a $1.5 billion company. Thompson shared some of Ambit’s growth story when he delivered the keynote address at the Global 100 banquet on April 8. “We set Ambit’s open culture in motion at the very beginning by ripping out all of the walls in our 100-year-old warehouse space,” he told the audience. “Our culture and space became incredible tools for our recruiting efforts, but what we found was the most important factor of all had to do with our values and our ethics.”
Barbara Seale also shares the story behind Mary Kay Inc.’s outstanding $400 million growth, which earned the company this year’s Bravo Growth Award. International expansion and product innovation are keys to the company’s ongoing success. “We manage portfolio growth by making sure we have products for women and their beauty needs at any stage of life,” Chief Marketing Officer Sheryl Adkins-Green told Seale for the story that begins on Page 100. “By broadening our portfolio, we can broaden the company’s appeal.”
The Global 100 project has become an important benchmark for the direct selling community, and each year it gives the world a more transparent look at the success companies find when they embrace this unique and powerful channel of distribution. Without the support of the many participating companies who share our commitment to that cause, this project would not be possible. So on behalf of the entire team at Direct Selling News, I congratulate and thank each of the companies on this year’s list.
The DSN team has been hard at work creating some wonderful recognition products for the Global 100 and North America 50 companies. Custom reprints for corporate staff and the sales field are now available, as are framed awards. Please contact Jerry Reagan for details: (940) 497-9775 or jreagan@directsellingnews.com.
This edition of the magazine also marks a significant transition for Direct Selling News. Our long-time Publisher and Editor in Chief, John Fleming, is taking on a new role within the organization. As DSN’s Ambassador, John will continue to champion the importance of having a high-quality news resource for the direct selling community and provide valuable thought-leadership and guidance to our team. He also will have more flexibility to pursue important projects inside and outside the direct selling sphere.
I am proud to carry on John’s outstanding work as Publisher and Editor in Chief and will be forever grateful for his continued support. Together, I am confident Direct Selling News will continue to grow, delivering news, research and stories to bolster the important work that you and your companies do each and every day.
All the best,
Lauren Lawley Head
Publisher and Editor in Chief
