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.

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.

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.

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