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QNET Replaces Top Brass as Direct Seller Shifts to Tech-First Strategy
QNET replaced four senior executives in a single move, the biggest leadership shakeup in its 20-year history. The new team includes a chief information officer for the first time, signaling a push to digitize its distributor network and customer platform.
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QNET, the Hong Kong-based direct seller of wellness and lifestyle products, replaced four of its most senior executives in a single move Monday, the biggest leadership shakeup in the company's two-decade history.
Mattias Mildenborn takes over as chief executive. Peter Luke becomes chief financial officer. Elena Khoo is the new chief marketing officer. Ben Bredenkamp was named group chief information officer. All four started this month, the company said.
"This is much more than a change in leadership. It represents the beginning of a new chapter for QNET," said Kuna Senathirajah, group managing director of QI Group, QNET's parent company.
The appointments come as QNET tries to modernize a business model that has drawn regulatory scrutiny in several markets. Direct selling companies face rising compliance costs and consumer-protection rules in India, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. QNET itself has been the subject of pyramid-scheme allegations in some countries, which it has consistently denied.
Mildenborn said the new team would work around four priorities: product innovation, customer experience, distributor capability and technology. "The next generation of entrepreneurs expects intuitive technology, relevant products, authentic communication, high-quality education and a company whose values are reflected in how it operates," he said. "Our goal is not simply to participate in the future of direct selling. It is to help shape it."