Over thirty years ago, Jorge Vergara and Maricruz Zatarain were introduced to a selling concept that would not only profoundly change their family’s life but the lives of millions. As they built their first network marketing business and learned how impactful the model could be for their family and friends, they dreamed of launching their own direct selling company. That dream became reality in 1991 with the launch of OMNILIFE de Mexico.
Over nearly three decades, Jorge grew OMNILIFE into an international powerhouse, expanding from Mexico to other countries throughout Latin America, North America, the Caribbean and Europe. As his company grew, Jorge’s children grew right alongside it. Son Amaury Vergara Zatarain and daughters Kenya Vergara Zatarain, Yelena Povaguina and Uma Vergara were frequent guests on stage of OMNILIFE’s concert-like events, joining their father; learning from his legacy; and growing as leaders themselves.
For many years, Jorge and his family were the faces of OMNILIFE, inspiring distributors around the world to follow their example and build dreams of their own that could last for generations.
Following Jorge’s death in 2019, the broader OMNILIFE family of distributors and employees mourned alongside with Jorge’s children—they also wondered how the company would transition into a new generation of leadership. Amaury was appointed Chairman of The Board and General Director of The Omnilife Group; Kenya took on the role of Director of Omnilife-Seytú Global Marketing; and Yelena was appointed Executive Director of Financial Control. While they had grown up in OMNILIFE and had learned many lessons from their father, the siblings were only in their twenties—very young compared to distributors who had been building their businesses for decades.
Today, under the council´s leadership—Amaury, Kenya, Yelena and Diego Calderón—OMNILIFE operates in 21 countries; supports more than seven million distributors; and serves other millions of customers worldwide. What began with one foundational product, a multivitamin drink called OmniPlus (known today in the US as OML Plus), has expanded to a product line of different ready-to-drink and powered nutrition products, as well as a beauty and personal care line.
“We were born as a nutritional supplement company based on multi-development and a lifestyle full of health and economic stability,” Amaury shared. “Our philosophy of being People Taking Care of People is reflected in the abundance in health and economy of our OMNILIFE distributors with whom we share the mission of being in the cupboards of every family to share wellness and abundance around the world.”
Passion and Possibilities
As he built and expanded OMNILIFE from Mexico to countries around the world, Jorge was always dreaming of new possibilities—from new products to new business ventures to new opportunities for the entrepreneurs he inspired. The OMNILIFE Group is comprised of over thirty companies, including Club Deportivo Guadalajara, the most popular football club based in Guadalajara nicknamed Chivas.
“Innovation is one of our most important pillars,” Kenya explained. “We’ve implemented cutting-edge technology along with permanent research work, merging the latest ingredients with the experience we have for over 32 years. We understand that our products are a tool to transform the health and life of each distributor, so it will always be our goal to invest in offering the best products since the most important thing for us is that each person sees the results and benefits as soon as they consume them.”
Jorge’s legacy of evolution is alive and well, as Amaury, Kenya and the next generation of OMNILIFE leaders are also committed to growth and change—not only for distributors, but for the company’s product line as well.
“OMNILIFE’s main focus is multi-development, a system in which lifestyle is transformed through personal growth to achieve success and abundance in an integral scope: health, professional and economic,” Amaury explained. “This is because OMNILIFE was projected from the beginning as a company that would not only help with health but also to develop in all aspects of life.”
Legacy and Longevity
After years of transition, from new generational leadership to navigating a global pandemic, the OMNILIFE family is excited about this new season of growth and breakthrough. More customers are trying OMNILIFE products than ever before, often through a distribution method that has become the standard in Latin America but feels novel in the United States: OMNILIFE stores (distribution centers).
With the experiential interaction of an Apple store but the convenience of a grocery store, customers can get a feel for OMNILIFE products in person and then purchase either by becoming a distributor or through a sale linked to one of the top distributors in that area. With stores throughout Latin America and 19 stores and counting in the United States, OMNILIFE has found great success through this model. In fact, 50 percent of the company’s US sales are through OMNILIFE stores. In Mexico, that figure is over 90 percent.
In the States, these stores aren’t the only new development for OMNILIFE. In March 2023, the company broke ground on a new corporate office, warehouse and manufacturing plant located in Allen, Texas and expects to open its doors in Q2 2024.
“We have two manufacturing plants,” Amaury shared. “We have one in Guadalajara (one of the largest in the world in food supplements), and another in Cali, Colombia, to supply South America. Now we are building another one in the United States to supply the entire North American market. Likewise, in Barcelona, Spain, we have commercial allies, and we foresee a lot of growth in the European community.”
As OMNILIFE expands to more households throughout the world, this new generation of leaders honors Jorge’s vision of improving people’s lives through both lifestyle and opportunity, but they’re also ushering in a new chapter of the company’s story.
“We’re excited about our philosophy, our values and the future we envision,” Amaury shared. “We must remember where we come from to know where we are going, and we want to continue transforming lives with an even more avant-garde vision. For 32 years, we have distinguished ourselves as a strong company that offers a solid career plan, innovative products and the multi-development to improve in all areas of life. The most important thing for us is to be the vehicle for anyone with the burning desire to transform their reality.”