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XanGo LLC has named Larry V. Macfarlane as the company’s newest Chief Marketing Officer.

MacFarlane comes to the company with over two decades of experience in the direct sales industry, having previously worked for several industry powerhouses including NuSkin Enterprises.

Larry Macfarlane has also served as President of Big Planet, since September 2003. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Macfarlane worked for Wind River Systems from 1998 to 2003, where he served as General Manager of network infrastructure and digital consumer markets. Previously, he served in executive positions at several high-tech companies, including President and CEO of Zinc Software, Inc. from 1994 to 1998, Vice President and General Manager of Computer Equipment Warehouse’s Utah region from 1992 to 1994, and President of Computers Made Easy from 1985 to 1992.

Macfarlane will be responsible for leading the company with new marketing and business initiatives. Macfarlane will work with others in the XanGo marketing team to lead all aspects of marketing including product management, marketing and branding.

In his previous role at NuSkin, Macfarlane served as a division president where he was responsible for developing new opportunities and helping to enhance the value of the NuSkin brand.

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Fresh on the heels of Shaklee’s announcement to launch in China, fellow network marketing company, Nu Skin has announced this week that they have received permission from the Chinese Government to expand their operations in China. As we’ve told you before, the Chinese Government has strict standards when it comes to granting licenses to operate a Direct Sales company within the company.

Nu Skin received approval from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to commence direct selling activities in four cities in the Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City.

Receiving approval to operate in the Guangdong province is a huge accomplishment for the company. That province is the second largest in the country with a population just over 94 million people.

Nu Skin has previously received licenses to operate in Beijing and Shanghai.

“We are pleased to begin our 25th Anniversary Year with the opportunity to expand our direct selling model in China,” said Truman Hunt, president and chief executive officer. “We continue to see great potential in this market and believe our ability to expand our direct selling model to those in the Guangdong province will have a positive influence in the China market. Overall, we are confident in the direction of our global business operations and look forward to executing on our 2009 business plans.”

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Nu Skin Enterpriseswas honored last week with the China Charity award for the company’s commitment and dedication to helping those in need in China, especially during and after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier in the year.
The award, the most prestigious charity award given in the country, is given by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs. Hu Jintao, president of the People’s Republic of China, presented the award to Andrew Fan, the President of Nu Skin’s Greater China Region. The award was presented at a special ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing China.

“This year Nu Skin’s culture of giving was demonstrated in numerous ways, particularly in China following the Sichuan earthquake and devastating snow storms,” said Truman Hunt, president and chief executive officer of Nu Skin Enterprises. “We applaud our Greater China staff and sales force who came together to provide quick and significant relief to those affected by disaster. Nu Skin China truly made a difference as they executed on our mission to be a force for good in the world.”

During the last year, Nu Skin donated money and supplies through their Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation, in the tune of almost $5 million dollars. The donations came not only in money, but also in supplies and food needed to rebuild after the earthquake in the Sichuan Region of China. Nu Skin also jumped in to help after a series of devastating snow storms this year that compounded the devastation produced by the earthquake. The money was not only donated by the company, but also by consumers, distributors and employees of the company.

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MLMRankings.com has just come out with their latest polls of top performing and top gaining MLM companies for the month of October.

If you’ve ever wondered how an MLM company does in comparison to some of its competitors in terms of popularity and inquiries, this is the most comprehensive site on the web to get that kind of information.

MLMRankings is also a great tool if you’re thinking about just starting on the industry. Information about top gainers is a great way to get some insight on some of the up-and-comers.

Among the top gainers for the month of October are NuSkin , Scentsy and Sene Gence International, a new cosmetics company.
On the list as top searched companies are many of the usual suspects, Avon , Tupperware, and Mary Kay.

We encourage you to take a look at the list, but also be aware that you must always do research before getting involved in any new business venture. There is a lot of great information on the web these days, our site included and it’s always best to obtain as much information as possible before beginning any new business venture.

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