PPB November 2018

Mahre In normal business terms, I’m a highly organized, results-driven leader with a marketing and sales background which, in reality, describes a lot of people in our industry. What I really offer to PPAI is an outside promotional products industry perspective from a number of major industries and business models such as: • Key career development opportunities like working for Procter & Gamble launching new products (i.e. Liquid Tide, Pringles), leading the consolidation of sales organizations and building a multi- functional customer team (Super Valu) • Being involved at a senior level in professional sports overseeing the business side of the Minnesota Twins baseball club with experience in licensing, promotions, community involvement, media and advertising • Leading the branding and marketing reconfiguration of multiple health care systems into a single unit • Each of these experiences was unique and challenging with direct impact to promotional products. But the real learning at each career stop was when I got involved and asked the question, “How can we be better long term?” It allowed me to understand what opportunities were available. PPB What would you like to accomplish during your board term? Mahre That the leadership of PPAI identifies and implements a supply chain structure that ensures a sustainable business model that works for the majority of our membership into the future. Sometimes our Association tries to be everything to everyone which is not feasible when you consider the thousands of independent members all having different needs and wants. We should be focusing on quality over quantity. PPB Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on? Mahre The challenge for PPAI members is for each contact to crystalize and communicate our industry’s value proposition with a total focus on meeting end buyer needs. The key question should be “How can we make our industry quicker, easier and better for end buyers to work with?” Today, many suppliers don’t even see end buyers as the true customer but rather each individual distributor, which is unfortunate as we spend a lot of resources selling internally to each other. Moving forward, PPAI should help individual members develop more impactful and efficient processes that create better experiences for end buyers. That means shifting away from traditional selling approaches (catalogs, trade shows, etc.) and identifying new strategies/tactics that make ordering, ideation and quoting processes simpler and less complicated for everyone involved. Amy Rabideau, MAS With more than 20 years in the industry on the supplier and distributor sides of the business, supplier integration is a passion of Rabideau’s. In her current position with Summit Group, her focus is on compliance and product responsibility. She was elected to the RAC board in 2017 and has served on the Georgia Association of Promotional Products Professionals (GAPPP) board for the past six years. PPB Why do you want to serve on the PPAI Board? Rabideau There are many challenges facing our industry, so it is a privilege and responsibility that I don’t take lightly. While serving, I hope to continue the efforts to increase collaboration among our many stakeholders to help better the industry that I love. I see the role of the RAC delegate to the PPAI Board as a connector, generating relationships between people and entities, bringing information and solutions to result in mutual professionalism and success. Making these connections swiftly and methodically can create lasting change that gives everyone a chance to contribute and adapt. PPB What unique strengths and experiences do you bring to the PPAI board? Rabideau My love for this industry has spanned more than 20 years. I’ve served in both distributor and supplier organizations, functioning in sales, marketing and operations. My experience in varied positions and roles provides insight into supplier/ distributor issues and how operations and sales should coordinate. I know firsthand that sales and operations need each other, the advantages of technology to each and, most importantly, what our regional groups need from our national organization. This experience gives me a long view of our industry. My intent is to make it better now and to protect it from future outside and inside disruptors. PPB What would you like to accomplish during your board term? Rabideau In bringing my industry knowledge and experience to the PPAI board, I would like to be a fresh perspective, a connector between regional and national efforts for a clearer understanding of the needs and expectations of each. PPB Are there any industry challenges or issues that you’d like to see renewed focus on? Rabideau I am happy to continue contributing to the conversation around technology and how it can be utilized to improve our supply chain communications from merchandising services and order processing to product safety and compliance management. We are fortunate to have varied solutions in our space that can be used by larger and smaller stakeholders to improve operational effectiveness and to create their own unique, competitive advantage. Amy Rabideau, MAS | NOVEMBER 2018 | 91 CONNECT