What is Direct Selling Australia?

Christiana (Chris) Knight is a vibrant, energetic, and positive motivator with over 20 years of experience in senior client relationship roles.

Throughout her career, Chris has consistently impressed with her outstanding communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills. At Deloitte, she not only met but exceeded strong growth targets by collaborating effectively with partners and teams, delivering exceptional value to her federal government clients.

In her previous roles, Chris has excelled in relationship building and member engagement activities. At CPA Australia, she led significant sales growth for learning & development services and spearheaded four communities of practice, forming strategic relationships with finance professionals at various levels. Her efforts boosted membership acquisitions and fostered a strong sense of belonging.

Although new to the direct selling industry, Chris’ extensive background in sales, marketing, and relationship-building roles sets her up for success. With a passion for nurturing relationships and driving results, Chris is committed to contributing to the growth and engagement of Direct Selling Australia’s member community.

Living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Chris enjoys spending her time with her family and their beloved black staffy – Kimmy. She’s also an enthusiastic abstract artist who loves exploring vibrant colours and dynamic compositions in her paintings, drawing inspiration from the stunning coastal landscapes of her surroundings.

Fiona has a strong and diverse administrative background.  She has held many varied roles across several industries, including working in legal services and the educational sector.  Fiona is enjoying being the Administration Co-ordinator for DSA, and welcomes any challenges that come her way. Personal time is spent living on the Northern Beaches enjoying the beach lifestyle.

Nina’s role within Direct Selling Australia sees her working in the areas of advocacy and engagement, driving DSA’s policy position to create value for members.

She maintains relationships across government and industry, and formulates effective communication strategies and processes for our members. Nina also ensures DSA’s activities are undertaken in accordance with its Constitution, as well as statutory and other legal requirements along with expectations for probity, accountability and integrity.

Nina has a great depth of experience in providing advice, preparing documentation, managing claims/disputes and/or negotiations, in relation to business/commercial law, litigation, franchise law, and intellectual property. She has worked with both domestic and international clients, as well as in ‘in-house’ roles for large organisations
and her experience has led to a track record of dealing with legal issues on a pragmatic and commercial basis.  

With hands-on experience across a broad range of business types and legal practice areas, Nina gives her unique perspective in the day-to-day operational and commercial concerns of business today. 

In her leisure time Nina enjoys trying out new restaurants or cool bars, cooking, but especially Latin dancing, including salsa, kizomba and samba.

GM – PartnerCo

Allana Hinks is a force to be reckoned with in the Direct Selling industry, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh, innovative mindset to the table. With a strong foundation in marketing and an impressive career spanning Direct Selling, FMCG, and health and wellness, she has consistently led the charge for top-tier brands in the Australasian market.

Her expertise runs deep—having spearheaded Sales, Marketing, and R&D for some of Australia’s most recognised brands, Allana possesses a 360-degree understanding of business. Her unique perspective as a former distributor also fuels her passion for empowering the field, ensuring that strategy and execution align with what truly drives success.

Allana is known for her fearless leadership, strategic acumen, and relentless pursuit of excellence. She challenges the status quo, embraces innovation, and thrives on creating solutions that elevate both people and businesses. Those who work alongside her describe her as dynamic, visionary, and passionately committed to making an impact.

Under Allana’s leadership, the future is bold, exciting, and filled with possibility. Get ready for a new era of growth, empowerment, and industry transformation!

MC for Awards Function

Kirryn Zerna is a Keynote Speaker, facilitator, and author of The Stand Out Effect. Her inspiring, and immensely practical, presentations help business leaders, teams and entrepreneurs navigate the post-covid normal to build influential brands that ooze affinity with their customers, leaders, and teams both in person, and online.

Drawing on 23 years of experience, and a highly visual and interactive presentation style, Kirryn shares the latest social media and branding trends for small business and franchise gatherings and also works with corporate leaders and teams for ways to connect and communicate powerfully in a hybrid working environment.

Kirryn holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master of Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2017 she was awarded the Kerrie Nairn Scholarship for an emerging speaker by Professional Speakers Australia and has served on their National Board.

Organizations that look to Kirryn’s expertise include Australian Radio Network, Aussie Home Loans, Fundraising Institute Australia, Westpac, NSW Government and she will help you create The Stand Out Effect in your company, and beyond.

Breathwork Expert

“Our breath is always with us. Our closest friend. It can reconnect us with our bodies, and guide us back to an inner state of well-being – opening our hearts, and calming our minds. It truly is the most powerful tool we have for shifting the way we think and feel…how we experience our lives. Breathwork certainly changed mine.

For a long time I was very dysregulated; in a state of fight or flight, suffering stress, trauma and pain. I was completely disconnected from my body, and was never at rest.

I discovered breathwork, and the effects it had on me were immediate. I began to come back to my body, and as I did, I found tremendous joy and positivity, that shifted the way I experienced my life. I started to feel more connected, more grounded, and more present – and the pain I was feeling began to fall away. I was healing myself through the power of my own breath. Which we all have access to.

The modern world demands a lot of us, making it very easy to overlook that peaceful feeling within. Our breath can take us back there. This is what I want to share, so together we can come back to the body, come back to our breath – and experience our fullest self”.

Founding Director and CEO – ESG Strategy

Lee is a best-selling author, seasoned sustainability leader, and founder of ESG Strategy, with over 20 years of global experience spanning Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan. Formerly Head of Sustainability at Fujitsu and Fonterra, Lee has led award-winning projects leveraging AI technology and data centres, alongside pioneering initiatives such as climate-related disclosures, modern slavery reporting, and programs to reduce on-farm emissions. Passionate about developing future talent, Lee has also coached and mentored emerging sustainability leaders.

As the author of the best-selling “How to Build Sustainability into Your Business Strategy”, Lee advises boards and executives across Australasia and the Pacific and provides strategic sustainability advice to the Tongan Government, supporting climate action and sustainable growth for future generations.

CEO – a-Ha! A Human Agency

What Katriina doesn’t know about Human Resources isn’t worth knowing! She’s a creative and practical leader with a serious commercial spine, who quickly connects expertise + fresh ideas to create solutions that work. Her career has spanned leadership roles in different industries, sectors and countries. CEO + Founder of A-HA, Katriina is passionate about building inclusive workplaces where all people thrive and realise their full potential. Healthy teams with engaged people deliver both business and community success.

The Growth Axis

Kelly’s career in the Direct Selling industry began after she left a 9-to-5 sales manager role to create more time for her two young daughters. Starting as a Thermomix consultant in Sydney, she built highly successful teams and quickly rose to lead the state. Her success led to a recruitment opportunity in the USA, where she established new territories from the ground up, beginning in Chicago and eventually leading the entire country as Director of Sales, North America, for Thermomix.

In the first chapter of her life as a world-ranked athlete and national squash coach, Kelly learned the value of consistency, discipline, and resilience. This foundation in elite sports laid the groundwork for future pursuits—helping others achieve excellence in business and leadership. Her dedication to personal and professional growth inspired her to earn a Master of Business Coaching from Sydney Business School at Wollongong University. Now, with over a decade of experience coaching leaders and executives, Kelly is committed to helping others harness their strengths and unlock their potential.

Now, in her business ‘The Growth Axis’, Kelly empowers leaders through personalized coaching, interactive workshops, and the Leadership Academy. In addition she is a leadership development associate with Impact International, further extending her expertise globally.

Kelly believes that true leadership begins with self-awareness and growth—values that have underpinned her entire career, whether on the squash court, in the boardroom, or working with leaders to help them discover the brilliance within.

Above all, Kelly is a proud mum of two grown daughters, who have always been her core purpose and driving force.

Luke Achterstraat has over a decade of experience in policy, advocacy and government. He has advised two federal government ministers and appeared before parliamentary inquiries on behalf of both federal and state industry groups.

Luke was the NSW Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia and was also appointed by the NSW Government as the inaugural Chair of the NSW Expert Housing Advisory Panel.

Luke is passionate about small business, having helped co-found and lead the talent disruption business Commtract. His grandfather emigrated to Australia from the Netherlands in 1951 and started a small business, a legacy that helps inform Luke on the vital role small businesses play in building livelihoods and communities across Australia.

Luke started his role as CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia in May 2023.

Media Specialist

In her role as an international, award-winning TV & Film Producer, Maz led the biggest brands on earth, with the biggest teams, budgets, audiences and stars. She’s worked with the most successful people on earth and if you’ve watched it, she probably made it and won an award for it. Her content has been watched more than eight billion times and she’s produced everyone from pop stars to politicians, scientists to socialites, Hollywood A listers to Astronauts. The President of the USA and Prince Charles have been on her shows. Maz now uses that TV psychology, research and expertise to give individuals and businesses that extra something that gets you noticed. They call it The X Factor – she knows how – she should, she made the show and won a Logie for it.

General Manager – Nutrimetics Australia and New Zealand

Starting her journey at 22, Linda joined Nutrimetics to earn additional income while balancing family life. Over 12 years as a Consultant, she rose to Executive Sales Manager, enjoying perks like international seminars and company cars, but most importantly, building strong relationships that deepened her passion for Nutrimetics.

In 2007, Linda moved into a Corporate role, advancing to Regional Sales Manager and later National Sales Director for Sales and Marketing. She played a key role in modernising strategies while preserving Nutrimetics’ 57-year legacy. As General Manager, her leadership ensures the company’s growth and continued success in the direct selling market.

The Third Space

Adam is an author, researcher and keynote speaker who works with teams and organisations to elevate their performance, by optimising their wellbeing, culture and leadership.

He holds a PhD in Biomedical Science and is the author of three best-selling books, including “The Third Space” and “Strive”. He is the director of the e-lab, a research company that partners with various Universities throughout Asia Pacific to elevate our knowledge of what drives high performance.

In the last 10 years, Dr Adam has delivered more than 1500 presentations to over half a million people Globally. Dr Adam has shared the stage with the Dalai Lama, Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple), and Sir Ken Robinson (the most watched Ted talk in history). Dr Adam has won numerous awards including the International Academy of Management Award for Best Global Action Research Paper and the APAC Management Consulting Award for Most Influential Wellbeing and Performance Speaker.

He is thought to be the only keynote speaker in the world to have had the impact of his keynote presentation measured in a university study (it improved the behaviour of attendees by 41%). In his time, Dr Adam has worked with business leaders, elite athletes, sporting teams, special forces soldiers, emergency service workers and many others.

Dr Adam’s presentations are highly engaging and interactive, and his style is practical, relatable and playful. He makes the complex simple so it’s easy for people to take action that improves their performance right away.

Global Director of Product and Brands at Modere

Hermione Kidd is an experienced global leader with a passion for wellness and beauty, delivering proven results in the consumer goods and Direct Selling industries. Hermione is highly skilled in driving growth, nurturing talent, and building high-performing teams. Her expertise includes new product development, brand strategy, sales operations, portfolio management, and leveraging consumer insights to drive impactful business outcomes.

Join Christie Nicholas, CEO of Mumpower—Australia’s No. 1 specialist marketing agency driving growth for businesses and brands that speak to Mums—and discover the strategies top brands use to connect with the world’s most powerful consumer: Mums. With over 20 years of expertise and partnerships with 500+ household brands across every category—including Coles, Kmart, Medela, Remington, Russell Hobbs, and Springfree—Christie’s unrivalled experience and proven Mumpower methodologies have propelled local and global growth for some of the nation’s most trusted names. Mumpower specializes in Market Research, Product Reviews, Influencer Marketing, User Generated Content, and Events.

At the helm, Christie has spearheaded the Mum-centric Growth Marketing Roadmap and the acclaimed Australian Mums Today consumer research, offering unparalleled clarity on what drives Mums to buy and how to build lasting brand relationships with bulletproof precision and impactful results. A celebrated author, award-winning entrepreneur, and dynamic speaker, Christie’s keynote will empower you with actionable strategies to fast-track relationships and revenue in this market. Don’t miss the chance to learn directly from the authority leading the movement that keeps Mums’ influence at the centre of your business success.

Jen Usher is a dynamic next-generation leader with a passion for people and innovative thinking. As one of the youngest CEOs in the Direct Selling industry, she has played a pivotal role in launching and growing billion-dollar brands like Rodan + Fields and Kyani across Australia and New Zealand. Despite the challenges of remote leadership, Jen has excelled in building strong teams, fostering a vibrant community, and driving exceptional results by leveraging digital and social platforms. Now the Vice President & Managing Director of MONAT Australia, Jen’s deep understanding of social media and millennial culture made her a perfect fit for the brand. Since launching MONAT Australia in 2021, she has consistently exceeded sales forecasts, even amid significant national restrictions. A devoted mother of two, Jen is equally passionate about helping others succeed in the direct selling channel while setting a positive example for her daughters. She proves that with resilience, passion, and a bit of dry shampoo, it’s possible to balance family and career while achieving big dreams. 

Michael Licenblat is a resilience expert who helps people bounce back from challenges and perform under pressure. With over 20 years of experience, he teaches businesses and teams to navigate uncertainty and overcome setbacks.  As the author of *Pressure Proof – How to Thrive in Times of Disruption, Change and Pressure*, Michael combines his background in Psychology, Shiatsu therapy, and Martial Arts to help companies embrace pressure, adapt to change, and rise above setbacks and failures. The currency of success today comes down to how well people can evolve their resilience to become pressure-proof and thrive. 

Caitlin Benson, our Direct Selling Australia 2024 Rising Star Award winner, has a gift for helping brands and companies craft their story and build authentic connections with their audience. With her broad experience in omni channel marketing, Caitlin loves finding the perfect medium to deliver the right message.   

Caitlin will be interviewed by Melissa Seitz. 

has worked in the Direct Selling industry over the past 20 years in Australia and is currently employed as the General Manager of Shaklee Australia. 

Previously, she served as Vice President and General Manager APAC at Rodan and Fields,. 

Prior to this, her experience includes senior positions in Marketing, Field Development and General Management at companies such as Arbonne, Nature’s Sunshine and Herbalife.  

Melissa is also currently one of the Direct Selling Board of Directors in Australia. 

Melissa is immensely passionate about the channel and enabling people, the field and internal teams to achieve their full potential. 

Linda is the General Manager Of Nutrimetics Australia and New Zealand, and was promoted in 2024 to lead the company through a business transformation. Her extensive experience in direct selling and leadership within the company will undoubtedly guide her in driving this change successfully. 

Starting her journey at 22, Linda joined Nutrimetics to earn additional income while balancing family life. Over 12 years as a Consultant, she rose to Executive Sales Manager, enjoying perks like international seminars and company cars, but most importantly, building strong relationships that deepened her passion for Nutrimetics. 

In 2007, Linda moved into a Corporate role, advancing to Regional Sales Manager and later National Sales Director for Sales and Marketing. She played a key role in modernising strategies while preserving Nutrimetics’ 56-year legacy. Now, as General Manager, her leadership ensures the company’s growth and continued success in the direct selling market. 

Catherine Molloy uncovers the hidden psychology behind connection and influence, equipping people with the tools to revolutionise their communication in times of change. With over 25 years of experience in business, education, and transforming lives, Catherine understands that resilience in business stems from the ability to adapt and build authentic connections quickly. Her keynotes and trainings empower participants to become more influential, present, and adaptable communicators, especially when facing challenges. Catherine’s thought leadership lies in hacking the psychology of communication to create lasting, meaningful connections—even in the most dynamic environments. As the founder of several successful training companies, Catherine has been recognised both nationally and internationally for her expertise in sales and service, demonstrating her own resilience and ability to thrive in an ever-evolving world.  

Ric is a former Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs for Herbalife Nutrition, serving over several decades in all geographic regions for the company, in general management, new country development, regional and global leadership, and in corporate, legal and public affairs. He has over four decades of experience in creating and leading national, regional and global industry bodies in direct selling, food, nutrition and business.  His experience has involved working ‘on the ground’ in more than one hundred countries and includes a number of government advisory appointments in different parts of the world.  Ric is currently providing diplomatic assistance in agencies of the UN.  

Ric’s ‘downline’ family currently numbers thirty-eight, with a deep commitment to a wide variety of family, church and community service, and as a mentor, university lecturer, Non-Executive Board Director and volunteer firefighter. 

Gerard has over 11 years’ experience in Direct Selling and over 25 years’ experience leading technology companies across Australia, New Zealand and Europe. As a Director at Optus, Gerard led the wholesale division as well as the Consumer Sales and Marketing division for mobile. Having gained a passion for consumer sales, Gerard’s next step was Managing Director of the Strathfield Group, a company with 100 stores across Australia selling a broad range of electronic goods.

Gerard first became involved in the direct selling industry in 2013, when he moved to Amsterdam to head up ACN’s business development function in Europe. He was then asked to return to Australia to lead the Pacific region in late 2014. Since then, Gerard has led his team to transform the business, now partnering with leading brands in telecommunications, energy, home insurance, travel and electronic payment services.

In 2024, ACN made the difficult decision to exit all international markets. Given his experience and tenure, Gerard was their first port of call. Gerard and his wife, Audrey, have now successfully purchased the ACN business in Australia and New Zealand.  Having seen the impact the direct sales industry has on so many people’s lives, they are tremendously excited to invest in this unique services based opportunity in Australia.

With 3 children aged 5, 7 and 10 now growing up in the direct selling space, he is excited to see what changes ACN can make to the lives of many.

Kelly brings diverse range of skills to our team after fulfilling careers in Elite Sport, Direct Sales, and Business Coaching. She is known for building and managing large teams with a focus on goal achievement, skill development & team culture, which has led to the success of the individuals and organisations she has worked with. As a Coach in sport & business Kelly understands the importance of growth; both in ability & processes which in turn improve standards & results.

With over a decade working with Thermomix in Australia & the USA, Kelly has a passion for the Direct Sales Industry & what it offers individuals in ways of opportunity & development.

Living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Kelly spends her down time with husband David and adult daughters Jessica & Emily, and their adored four-legged friend Jackson Brown. Her interests include a love of cooking & reading, keeping fit and exploring the local breweries & gin bars.

Kelly is a perfect fit for our Direct Selling Australia Team.

Geoff Mulham was appointed CEO of Direct Selling Australia in 2022, and leads the team responsible for representing and supporting the Direct Selling industry and it’s members in Australia. 

Geoff’s role sees him interacting with Direct Selling leaders to share best practises, as well as advocating on their behalf to regulatory and Government bodies in Australia. 

Geoff has over 30 years’ experience in senior roles within the Direct Selling industry with Mannatech, Amway, and Nutrimetics, working in Australia, the UK, and the USA. From 2017-2022, Geoff held the position of Vice President and General Manager of USANA Health Sciences Australia and New Zealand. 

Geoff also spent 20 years managing his own global film and event production agency, partnering with companies including Frito Lay, Qantas, Vodafone, Westpac, and Cisco. 

Adele is a solicitor qualified in both New South Wales and England & Wales with significant experience in competition and consumer law matters including implementing compliance programs and systems as well as conducting internal investigations and defending companies and individuals in response to allegations brought by the ACCC and advising clients on appropriate strategic responses to regulatory action in terms of both penalties and brand reputation. Adele has a strong interest in all aspects of the regulatory cycle, including stakeholder advocacy in relation to proposed legislation and policy and has been advocating for Direct Selling Australia and its members since 2018.  Adele is also a Board member of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA).  Adele has ministerial appointments to the ATO’s Small Business Stewardship Group and the Therapeutic Goods Advertising  Consultative Committee representing Direct Selling Australia.