FEATURE | Rising Stars Johnny Beig, 40 Senior Vice President Dioz Group Beverly Hills, California Getting Started Dioz Group was started in 2006 in Australia and was affiliated with the Australian Promotional Products Association. When traveling the United States for the first time, he was in Las Vegas during The PPAI Expo and learned more about the industry, eventually becoming a member of PPAI. Earning The Honor “Johnny is constantly looking for new opportunities to grow the business and expand product offerings into new markets,” his nominator Jeff Cheema says. After establishing his business in his home country of Australia, Beig was able to grow his business in the U.S., eventually opening a second office in California. He also quickly pivoted product offerings during the pandemic focusing on PPE and other medical supplies. Proudest Moment? “The proudest moment had been closing my first sale. It was with Proforma. I worked with Proforma on a very large deal back in 2012. It took me 12 months. Back then we didn’t really have much presence in the U.S., and I traveled three times to [California] to meet with a rep.” How Do You Achieve Work/Life Balance? “I have made a rule that Saturday and Sunday, no computers, no emails nothing at all; just spend time with my family. During the week I often have to be on the computer late at night, talking to China, India, all these factories where we source our goods.” How Do You Support Fellow Young People At Dioz Group? “The young people are very creative. The ideas they have are different from what used to be the traditional way. We try to encourage them. We send them out to the trade shows for them to learn about the industry. We mentor them with what we’ve learned and what we’ve experienced in our journey.” What Innovations Are Needed In The Industry? “We would love to have a seamless ordering system. The way the world is moving, everything is on a touch of a button. Being able to provide [distributors] with a portal where they’re able to design, put their logos on a product and be able to just seamlessly click the ordering system for the quantities they want and the price points are already given to them.” How Do You Define Corporate Social Responsibility In The Industry? “It’s very vital. We actually have a pledge that by 2025 Dioz Group will only be dealing with sustainable products, whether that be sustainable promo products or sustainable apparel. I think it’s our duty to make sure we all do our small part to make sure we’re heading to a good future.” 18 | SEPTEMBER 2022 |
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