A LEADER RISES When McKay was first approached by CEO Frank VanderSloot about joining Melaleuca, he was intrigued by the concept of the company and impressed by the vision and steady tenacity of Frank. “Frank is the reason I came to Melaleuca,” McKay says. “His vision for how the company could enhance lives was contagious. I wasn’t excited to move to a small town, but I was captivated at the thought of working for Frank and learning from him. I remember sitting with him in his car in front of the Idaho Falls airport as I was leaving after my first visit. He talked of enhancing lives, products that would change the marketplace, and a business model that no one else could duplicate. It was then I knew I wanted to follow him.”
HONORING
MCKAY CHRISTENSEN 26 YEARS OF PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP! McKay Christensen embodies the rare combination of analytical insight and compassionate leadership. His leadership over the last 26 years has been a huge contributor to Melaleuca’s success and the success of countless Marketing Executives. McKay has recently accepted the position of CEO of Thanksgiving Point, a nonprofit organisation in Utah. We are fortunate to still have his continued influence and expertise part time, and we congratulate him on his new endeavor.
McKay and Frank VanderSloot backstage at Convention.
“Frank is the reason I came to Melaleuca. His vision for how the company could enhance lives was contagious. I wasn’t excited to move to a small town, but I was captivated at the thought of working for Frank and learning from him.”
McKay’s resume included executive positions at Procter & Gamble, Holiday Inn, and US Shoe Corporation (the parent company of LensCrafters), so it’s no wonder that Melaleuca tapped McKay to come on board as Chief Financial Officer in 1995. His impact was felt immediately. He brought with him several financial strategies, management techniques, and infrastructure concepts that are still used by the company today. McKay also played an integral role in helping Melaleuca transform from a call center to a robust online shopping company with systems and policies in place that would allow it to keep pace with the world’s increasingly ravenous desire for safer, affordable, and environmentally responsible products. In 2001, McKay was promoted to President of Melaleuca International. In that role, it was his responsibility to open new international markets, often as the first man on the ground. “I did some of the first Melaleuca Overviews in the UK,” McKay recalls. “We started the Melaleuca business in China with nothing but two or three phone numbers. But it was the leadership of each General Manager in each country that made the difference.” McKay played a major role in launching Melaleuca in several of the countries that today have hundreds of thousands of Members. In 2007, McKay was promoted to the role of Executive Vice President of Melaleuca, where he focused his attention on the growth of North American operations, built strong relationships with Marketing Executives, and saw several businesses advance
– McKay Christensen
McKay and Jennifer with their family at Redondo Beach, California.
4 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | EU.MELALEUCA.COM
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