Amway Investing in the Ukrainian Future: Social Projects and Business Achievements

Last year, to support Ukrainian employees and partners, Melodie Nakhle, Managing Director of Amway Europe, Southern Africa, Australia & New Zealand (ESAN), and John Parker, Chief Sales Officer & Region President West for Amway Global visited Kyiv. «We wanted our employees, distributors, and customers to understand that Amwayʼs support, from the corporation and the founding families, is more than just talk – itʼs real and tangible. It was essential for us to be there in person, to convey our unwavering dedication to Ukraine» said Melodie Nakhle. In an interview with Forbes BrandVoice, she and Amway Ukraine General Manager Dmytro Tiutchenko discussed supporting Ukrainians during wartime and shared their achievements over the past year.

People First

Amway’s mission is to help people live better, healthier lives. This mission extends beyond products to the people the company collaborates with. Today, about 130,000 registered Amway Business Owners work in Ukraine, about 70% of them are women. With the onset of the large-scale war, the company prioritized employee safety first, then business processes. «Each team member must prioritize their safety and the safety of their family. This includes following all safety protocols, especially during air alerts», said Melodie Nakhle.

«I have been with the company for 14 years and can confirm that our values — partnership, integrity, personal worth, achievement, personal responsibility, and free enterprise — are at the forefront of what we do around the globe, and we are seeing these values demonstrated by our team in Ukraine».

The companyʼs employees were offered to move to one of Amwayʼs largest headquarters in Krakow. «We rented them housing, provided them with goods— we set up a whole system so that employees and their families who were leaving in Ukraine received everything they needed. Many of them had children, so our offices became a playground for them in the early days», says Melodie Nakhle. As of now, most of the employees have returned to Ukraine, where they continue to manage operations.

For those who stayed in Ukraine following the outbreak of the war, the company provided direct financial assistance and continues to take care of their psychological health. «We understand that it does play an impact on mental health, so we want to make sure that all our employees are well supported», assures Melodie Nakhle.

Another example of the support of Amway registered partners and the Ukrainian team was the visit of Amway ESAN CEO Melodie Nakhle and Amway Global Chief Sales Officer & Region President West John Parker to Kyiv last year. This visit allowed the top managers to truly feel the impact of the war on Ukrainian families. During the stay, the international team had the opportunity to see firsthand the areas most affected by the war. 

«Our commitment to Ukraine has only straightened after seeing the resilience and the power of the Ukrainian people. It really leaves big personal impact. We truly saw and understood the tangible and profound impact the war has on the families of Ukraine», says Melodie Nakhle. «At the same time, I am very happy to have seen my team with my own eyes. People who are working every day to ensure business continuity happen in such incredible circumstances».

The company is committed to one of the most important business principles today — continuity — in order to take care of Ukrainian employees and registered Amway partners and customers. «People need our products today more than ever, and they need income from our products. Thatʼs why we are working hard to ensure the proper flow of goods to Ukraine from Europe, and in some cases, even beyond our means», assures Melodie Nakhle.

Significant Humanitarian Aid 

Amway cares not only for its employees and partners: the company has invested over $400,000 in social projects. This includes $100,000 for repairing the Borodianka Youth Sports School, which suffered significant damage from Russian missile attacks and purchasing sports equipment and students’ uniforms. «When we visited Ukraine, we had the opportunity to see how happy the children were with their new uniforms» says Melodie Nakhle about the students of the sports school, who, together with their parents, chose a difficult path — to rebuild their lives after the occupation in Borodianka and build everything from scratch. 

An additional $300,000 was spent on medical equipment for the Medical Burn Center at Kyiv City Clinical Hospital №2. This included an operating lamp, a system for hydrosurgical wound debridement, an infusion pump, a surgical table, an anesthesiologist workstation, an anesthesiologistʼs table, and a patient transporting bed, effectively re-equipping a small operating room. They also assisted at Poltava City Clinical Hospital №3, Kyiv City Clinical Emergency Hospital, the Palliative Care Department of the Kyiv City Childrenʼs Hospital No. 1, and other medical institutions. In 2024, Amway plans to allocate additional funds for a new project to support the medical area — equipping a wound dressing room in Lubny, Poltava region. Due to the constant shelling by Russia, Ukrainian hospitals still need additional equipment to ensure proper conditions for wounded patients, including those with mine injuries.

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Additionally, in cooperation with the European Business Association, Amway provided humanitarian aid to hospitals, orphanages, shelters, and volunteers, supplying hygiene products and Nutrilite vitamins to about 10 institutions and nearly 800 children in eight Ukrainian regions.

Exit from the Russian market 

The company ceased its operations in the Russian market on July 1, 2022. And despite the fact that this has significantly impacted the economic performance, the company decided it was impossible to continue operations in Russia due to economic, technological, organizational, and operational circumstances. «Our departure from Russia was the first time Amway in our 65-year history has exited a market and it was a very difficult decision for us» says Melodie Nakhle.

A Vital Enterprise for the Country

Despite the war, Amwayʼs sales in Ukraine grew by 34.4% in 2023 compared to 2022, with the company ending 2023 with sales exceeding 1.172 million UAH. The taxes paid by Amway to the Ukrainian budget last year amounted to 251 million UAH. 

«However, both corporations and government entities need to do more. Companies in Ukraine are grappling with significant challenges due to the ongoing war, such as supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages, and regulatory uncertainty», said Managing Director of Amway ESAN Melodie Nakhle. «Itʼs crucial for regulators to offer incentives and mechanisms to protect investments for private companies in Ukraine. These actions can help ensure stability and growth for the Ukrainian business and society, and weʼre fully committed to playing our part in this journey».

Focus on Health

Last year, the number of Amway customers in Ukraine increased by 20%, with more than 30,000 customers purchasing the companyʼs products monthly. As a result, the amount of the total reward and bonuses for Amway Business Owners amounted to over 360 million UAH. «The fact that our business model works so well digitally, even in the toughest times, also is an extra asset for the thousands of Amway Business Owners and customers in the market», assured Melodie Nakhle.

The companyʼs Leadership Team believes that itʼs crucial to give people hope. And the best way to do this is to bring new products to the Ukrainian market that have already appeared in Europe. «We are carefully considering how to do this, adhering to the principles of safety and continuity — balancing all the components. And you know, it works. We are grateful that the Ukrainian team feels protected by Amway. This gives us the opportunity not only to observe the Ukrainian market from abroad, but also to understand it from the inside», says Melodie Nakhle.

According to Dmytro Tiutchenko, General Manager of Amway Ukraine because of the war, many Ukrainians have shifted their consumption habits and are now more selective with their purchases. Impulsive purchase has become less common, with Ukrainians seeking products that improve their quality of life. Instead, there has been a noticeable increase in demand for Health and Wellness products. The global wellness market has a value of $368 billion, indicating a growing interest in investing in personal health. Moreover, our goal is to become a strong Health and Wellbeing market player in Ukraine.

In the near future, Amway is preparing to launch new product solutions, including a new Nutrilite™ Energy Program and the innovative Nutrilite™ Omega-3 Triple Strength Complex. «We strive to create only high-quality products that promote the health and wellbeing of our community. Today, this community consists of more than 1 million distributors and with the goal to reach 1 billion consumers around the globe», shared Dmytro Tiutchenko. And Melodie Nakhle adds to his opinion:

«Together, we will continue overcoming obstacles and becoming stronger than ever, as we invest in the future of the country through impactful social projects, health & wellness innovative solutions and a reliable business opportunity for thousands of Ukrainians».