SINGAPORE – Best World International co-founder Dora Hoan has been elected chair of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), becoming the first Asia-Pacific leader to head the 48-year-old global body.
Hoan, who is also co-chairman and global CEO of Best World, assumes the role as the direct selling industry navigates shifting consumer expectations and rapid adoption of artificial intelligence.
During her tenure, she plans to strengthen engagement with governments and regulators, raise industry standards and build greater consumer trust. Her priorities include ethics, governance, compliance, consumer protection and the responsible use of AI and digital technologies.
She also aims to improve communication among the WFDSA, national direct selling associations, member companies and other stakeholders.
At the federation’s 18th World Congress in Incheon, South Korea, held from October 19 to 21, Hoan said the industry must embrace technological progress while retaining the personal relationships that define direct selling.
Women’s entrepreneurship and economic participation will be another key focus. Hoan noted that 69 per cent of Best World Lifestyle’s distributors are women aged 44 and below, highlighting direct selling’s potential to support financial independence and flexible work.
“We are not in a hurry to become bigger. What matters to us is becoming better,” she said.
Hoan co-founded Best World with Doreen Tan in 1990. The Singapore-headquartered company now operates in 27 markets and develops skincare, personal care, health and wellness products.