Garry Ford, B.Ed., P.Mgr, H.N.C.



Highlights of Garry's Career:

• 35 years at corporate executive level in Direct Selling industry
• 12 years on the Board of Directors for Direct Sellers Association Canada
• Chair of Direct Sellers Association Canada in 2004-2006
• Led the DSA taskforce dealing with Health Canada during a very tense time due to new certification requirements
• Awarded the Ivan P. Phelan Award in 2009 for lifetime service to the industry
• Experience in every business model of direct selling - MLM, Party Plan, Therapist Sales

Following seven years as an educator (1962-69), Garry left teaching to join a major book publishing company as an educational sales representative. In 1974, he and a partner established an innovative book distributing company with representatives strategically placed all across Canada. While his partner managed the corporate client relationships, Garry managed the sales force.

In 1977, Garry chose to sell his interests in the company and entered the direct selling industry as a corporate District Sales Manager. He progressed rapidly to a position of Vice President and General Manager of a Canadian subsidiary of Colgate Palmolive. When that company was purchased by a competitor in 1981, Garry was the only member of the executive team to be hired by the new owners.

Since 1979, Garry has served as a senior executive in Canada for four direct selling companies, as well as consulting to the industry. In 2009, the Canadian Direct Sellers Association presented Garry wtih the Ivan P. Phelan award, a prestigious recognition for his lifetime service to the industry. This award is given annually to one industry executive who, in the opinion of his/her peers, has done much to advance the industry in Canada.

From June 2000 until December 2011, Garry served as General Manager of Nature’s Sunshine Products of Canada Ltd. Nature’s Sunshine Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc. of Provo, Utah. During his tenure at NSP, annual sales doubled and annual operating income increased many times over. Garry reported to the President of Nature’s Sunshine International in Provo Utah.

As a side interest, in 2011 Garry graduated from the New York Institute of Photography, and has since been perfecting this skill by providing his services for weddings, family portraits, church pictorial directories, and the likes. Garry lives in Brampton with his wife Carol who is also an executive in the direct selling industry. They have four adult children (Sean, Jeff, Cliff and Crystal) and eight precious grandchildren. Both Garry and his wife are active in their church and other community organizations.