A Vision of Joy | Must Read A Vision of Joy New PPAI President and CEO Drew Holmgreen is still learning about the branded merch industry, but his fresh perspective is already guiding steps to amplify the joy it creates: Strengthen the Association, better serve members and elevate the medium’s importance to the overall branding community. By Josh Ellis He didn’t really expect to get the job. Drew Holmgreen’s career had spanned marketing and advertising agencies and included years of association leadership. He’d helped launch the promotional products distributor arm of a brand agency. And the interviews had gone well. He was certain he could succeed if given the chance. To Holmgreen, the fit felt… perfect. But still. He was an outsider to the industry, and to PPAI. The Association’s most recent hires for the president and CEO role had all known both expertly. So, when his phone buzzed in mid-December and the name of then-Board Chair Andrew Spellman flashed on the screen, Holmgreen braced for a polite rejection and maybe some constructive feedback. Instead, the voice on the other end told him, “This is going to be a really good call.” Holmgreen felt the chill of a particular emotion. He snuck a quick text breaking the news to his wife, Andrea. She ran to the door, jumping up and down, sharing the same emotion. The couple had kept Holmgreen’s conversations with the PPAI Board of Directors quiet. As they started to share the word with family and friends, that particular emotion spread. The conversation with his 10-year-old son, George, now brings a tear to Holmgreen’s eye. PPAI • APRIL 2025 • 43
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==