Melissa Ralston, Denise Taschereau and Chris Anderson.

 

PPAI announced new board members in October—Chris Anderson, CEO of Braintree, Massachusetts-based supplier HPG; Denise Taschereau, co-founder and CEO of Vancouver, British Columbia-based distributor Fairware Promotional Products, and Melissa Ralston, chief revenue officer of Tampa, Florida-based supplier Koozie Group.

Anderson and Taschereau have been elected to the PPAI Board of Directors following approval of the slate by PPAI members in September’s election; they will both serve a four-year term. Ralston has been appointed to a two-year at-large director position on the PPAI board. All three new directors will begin their terms immediately following The PPAI Expo 2022 in January.

PPB spoke with these new board members to learn more about their backgrounds and the goals they are looking to achieve during their upcoming board term.

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Chris Anderson joined the promotional products industry in 2002 with supplier HandStands and became president of the company in 2009 and CEO in 2010. Under his leadership, HandStands expanded its distribution into 138 countries and closed multiple strategic acquisitions, including the sale of the business to HPG in 2018. Anderson became CEO of HPG in 2019.

PPB  Why do you want to serve on the PPAI board?

Chris Anderson: I already have a large personal and professional stake in the industry and, given that it is at a historically-unique inflection point—coming off a global pandemic (we hope!) and with technology enhancing and disrupting the marketplace at an increasing pace—I am interested in playing a part in helping to steer the Association—and, by extension, the industry—in a direction of continued (if not expedited) innovation, growth and prosperity.

PPB  What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board?

Anderson: I have been a part of several high-functioning executive teams and, in recent years, boards of directors. Whether s a startup or an industry-leading business enterprise, I have learned the importance of bringing a student’s mentality to the table and truly seeking to hear the voice of the key stakeholders. In so doing, opportunity gaps can be identified, solution bridges created and real value added.

PPB  What would you like to accomplish during your board term?

Anderson: I intend to leave PPAI, and the industry it serves, better off for my having served.

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Denise Taschereau launched Fairware after realizing how difficult it was to source promotional merchandise that reflected the social and environmental priorities of the many brands and organizations she admired. Previously, Taschereau oversaw the Mountain Equipment Co-op’s national environmental programs, community grant-making and ethical sourcing programs, and wrote their award-winning first Sustainability Report. She is currently a board member of PromoCares, an industry group driving awareness and education around sustainability issues in the promotional products industry.

PPB  Why do you want to serve on the PPAI board?

Denise Taschereau: Our industry is at a unique crossroads. We’re coming out of a global pandemic, facing a supply chain crisis and looking at a future that is increasingly more connected and digital. It’s an incredible moment in time to build an Association that is resilient, nimble and ready for what the future holds. I want our medium to be seen as a critical part of the marketing matrix and ensure our members have the right tools to succeed in a fast-changing world.

PPB  What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board?

Taschereau: I have been in the industry over 15 years and have built a successful distributorship that operates in both Canada and the U.S. As a smaller/mid-sized distributor—we have a team of 15—I feel well-positioned to add my voice to the issues the board is facing. Fairware, the distributorship I co-founded, has always focused on sustainability, responsible sourcing, and diversity, equity and inclusion. We’re tuned into the emerging market demand for greater transparency and corporate social responsibility. That experience will help shape how the industry addresses these issues moving forward.

PPB  What would you like to accomplish during your board term?

Taschereau: If I look back on my time as a board member, I’ll be happy if I’ve shaped three outcomes. The first is ensuring the tools and strategies we build are right-sized for smaller suppliers and distributors—they’re the lifeblood of our industry and it’s critical that we all succeed, not just the larger players. Second, I hope we have continued the work the organization has done to elevate the reputation and profile of our medium in the larger marketing landscape and a digital future. Finally, I’ll be thrilled if our industry has a roadmap for corporate social responsibility that our members have embraced and are acting on.

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Melissa Ralston has been in the promotional products industry for more than 15 years with global leadership roles across marketing, product management, sourcing and sales. In addition to her roles with two different promotional products suppliers, she has worked in multiple industries and served on multiple boards. She currently sits on a distributor’s diversity and inclusion board and is the executive sponsor for Koozie Group’s “Keep It. Give It.” Social Impact & Sustainability task force.

PPB  Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board?

Melissa Ralston: I believe the industry is at a tipping point. We need to continue to change and evolve in order to remain viable, and I’d like to be part of supporting the innovation needed to drive future transformation.

PPB  What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board?

Ralston: I’ve worked in corporate marketing and in advertising agencies across a lot of different industries, so I believe I have a good understanding of why our industry is such an important part of a marketing mix.

I’ve also had the opportunity to work in many different aspects of the promotional products world, from marketing and sales to sourcing, compliance and product development. In these roles, I’ve led through major change transformation, including acquisitions, corporate divestiture, digital and systems transitions as well as rebranding. I have a broad understanding of how the industry works as a whole and how to manage through change.

PPB  What would you like to accomplish during your board term?

Ralston: I feel like my experience makes me an ideal champion for finding solutions to the challenges facing the industry now and down the road. I also look forward to learning from others on the board as well as those in the industry community.

PPAI’s board is the Association’s governing body and plays a major role in directing its strategic activities, adopting policies and approving budgets to carry out the work of the Association.

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James Khattak is news editor of PPB.