Executive Perspectives: From the President

Thank You for an Amazing Year!

As we come to the end of 2016, I am reminded of what a meaningful year we have all just experienced together. We have made tremendous steps toward the betterment of our associates, supporting our communities and being a strategic partner to our valued customers. Here are some of the ways in which we are making progress, and I trust that you have experienced the benefits from these efforts:

We have reinvested into our people.

Without a doubt, our people are our number one asset. We are a service company, and the services that we provide would not be possible without the 40,000 full- and part-time associates throughout our company. From Sales Advisors and Recruiters to District Managers and Accountants, we are first, and foremost, a people company. A significant part of our associate population consists of a part-time workforce and I am happy to share that for the first time, we will be able to extend additional perks and benefits for thousands of people across our organization.

We are giving back to our communities.

For both our associates and our retail partners, giving back to our communities runs deep. We have a presence in dozens of locations around the U.S. and the world; and in so many areas, our teams give their time, their talent and their hard-earned money to local organizations. We’ve partnered with our retailers on major events and have had the honor of supporting causes including children’s charities, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Toys for Tots, various homeless shelters, soup kitchens and so many more.

We are focused on leveraging technology for the future.

We know that to enable our associates to do the best they possibly can at their jobs, we need to continue to advance our technology. From our reporting, event systems and software—we are making better investments in technology now so that we do our part to continue driving sales and results for our partners in the future.

We are getting back to the basics.

We are committed to investing in recruiting, training and ongoing associate appreciation as we move into 2017. We know that we must hire and retain the right people, train them consistently and ensure they have a meaningful experience. In a span of a few short months, our teams were challenged with hiring, onboarding and training over 1,000 associates for one account. After this year, I am convinced that we can achieve just about anything, even if it seems impossible; but the formula to success is one that, while seemingly simple, is crucial to follow.

Thanks to you, our associates and our valued partners for your continued spirit, effort and dedication. Your success is our success. I wish you all the best for this holiday season and beyond.

All my best,