In Taiwan’s direct selling industry, compliance is often discussed in terms of regulations, disclosures, and consumer protections. But for Herbalife Taiwan, compliance is ultimately tied to the trust earned through ethical practices in addition to compliant business operations.

Representatives from Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) and the Multi-Level Marketing Protection Foundation (MLMPF) regularly attend Herbalife’s major distributor events, speak directly with participants, and visit Herbalife’s Member Practices and Compliance (MPC) booth to better understand how the company operates in practice. FTC officials have also visited Herbalife Taiwan’s offices as part of broader discussions surrounding compliance expectations, business practices, and best-in-class consumer protection.

That level of transparency and cooperation reflects a broader effort at Herbalife to make compliance and accountability more operationally integrated across the business rather than treating them solely as internal corporate functions.

“We understand that a company our size, with our reach and profile, has a leadership role to play,” says Julian Cacchioli, Vice President of Public Affairs for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, and Asia Pacific at Herbalife.

He notes that this responsibility extends from distributor practices and regulatory engagement into the systems supporting product quality and consumer confidence. For example, around 15 years ago, Herbalife began investing heavily in a strategy designed to strengthen quality oversight and traceability across sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution.

“We invested hundreds of millions of dollars into what we call our ‘seed to feed’ strategy,” Cacchioli says. “The goal is to maintain oversight and quality control from the farm all the way through to the end consumer.”

According to Herbalife, more than 70% of the company’s products are now produced through its own supply chain network — wholly owned innovation and manufactuing facilities using cutting-edge technology, scientific research and extensive quality testing to create its nutrition products.

“We believe product quality is a fundamental pillar to building trust and confidence in our brand,” says Cacchioli. “When combined with the personalized support from our trained distributors, we are able to give our customers the very best experience.”

Alongside product standards, Herbalife representatives emphasize education and training as a critical part of maintaining long-term confidence in the direct selling model. Company leaders and senior distributors have participated in MLMPF seminars focused on career development, responsible business practices, and long-term business growth. The programs help reinforce professional standards while creating more direct communication between industry participants, organizations, and regulators.

Dawn Campbell, Herbalife’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Member Business Practices & Compliance, says the company’s oversight systems are designed around continuous education and reinforcement rather than one-time enforcement measures.

“When distributors train their teams, they’re passing along the same standards and expectations they’ve learned from us,” Campbell says.

That structure, she says, allows compliance expectations to scale more consistently across sales networks while reinforcing accountability over time. Herbalife’s broader training approach includes customized education programs, event-based learning sessions, and what the company internally refers to as its “five Cs” framework: compliance, compassion, community, culture, and continuous improvement.

The emphasis on accountability also extends to consumer protection. According to Ceasar Chen, General Manager of Herbalife Taiwan, Herbalife distributors in Taiwan operate under return and buyback policies that provide protections extending beyond standard retail requirements.

“We offer a 30-day buyback policy, while most general consumer protections in Taiwan are limited to seven days,” Chen says. “Consumers have stronger protections within our system.”

The team stresses that maintaining those standards requires systems that reinforce ethics and accountability throughout the organization. For Andrew Dunbar, the company’s Chief Risk, Ethics & Compliance Officer, maintaining consistency across a global distributor network depends on embedding ethical standards directly into company culture and operational structures.

“We can’t be everywhere at once,” Dunbar says. “That’s why we have ethics ambassadors across the company helping uphold those expectations internally.”

Herbalife maintains more than 140 ethics ambassadors globally, while those standards are incorporated into employee performance, compensation, and training structures. “It’s part of our performance,” says Dunbar. “It’s part of our compensation and it’s part of our training.”

This continued engagement among regulators, companies, distributors, and industry organizations will remain essential as Taiwan’s direct selling sector continues evolving. “We’re all in this together,” he says.