PPAI’s 2025 Woman of Achievement | Must Read It was a Sunday in spring 2020 when Vera Muzzillo voiced an idea over Zoom. The pandemic was in its early stages. People around the business world were still getting the hang of this Zoom thing, but at a time of crisis and opportunity, Sunday meetings were not uncommon – necessary to navigate uncharted territory. The CEO of Proforma – PPAI 100’s No. 3 distributor – had been listening to colleagues discuss all the personal protective equipment that was stuck overseas. The company had made the strategic decision to pivot into the PPE space as a means to help the healthcare industry and to maintain profit. But the only solutions being offered were to call an already overwhelmed UPS. That’s when Muzzillo made the sort of suggestion only a leader can pull off. “Why don’t we just charter planes?” she asked. “We’ll bring them in ourselves.” Apparently, there were people on that call who thought she was crazy, but, she says, “We owed it to the country and to our distributors to bring them solutions.” So that’s what Proforma did. The company not only chartered 747s, it used an Antonov – considered the largest aircraft in the world – to bring the products stateside. This is only a moment in a nearly 25-year career in promotional products, but it serves as an example of Muzzillo’s willingness to step up, make tough decisions and put her name behind a risk she believes in. This, among many other reasons, is why she has been named PPAI’s 2025 Woman of Achievement. “Vera is one woman in the print and promotional products industry, but her contributions have impacted the lives of many,” says Marissa Jansen, director of brand identity at Proforma, who nominated Muzzillo for the award. “Her efforts have had far-reaching impacts, influencing people and processes, building better relationships and creating stronger communities. Vera has not only raised the bar – she has set a new standard of excellence in the industry.” ‘The Opportunity To Change Lives’ Muzzillo admits that when PPAI reached out to her earlier this year, she didn’t think it had anything to do with an award. “I said to my son, ‘Oh, I wonder what committee they’re going to want me to join,’” she says. To be fair, she has always stepped up when the Association has needed her. Muzzillo joined the PPAI Board of Directors in January 2020. Whatever was required from that commitment at the time would change a few short months later when the industry was stopped in its tracks due to COVID-19. Instead of periodic board meetings at industry events or swanky hotels, it was weekly video meetings discussing how the industry could move forward or what PPAI’s members needed from the Association under these conditions. “What I loved about it is I felt like I was just surrounded by a brain trust of incredibly smart individuals,” Muzzillo says. “And everyone was so committed to always doing the right thing, putting the industry first, caring about all constituents.” Out of that time came necessary processes that have transcended the pandemic, such as open communication policies and industry education initiatives that allowed members to achieve professional development amid a time when inperson events and trade shows were off-limits. Five years later, to be recognized by the same Association, is something she doesn’t take for granted. A Verified Changemaker PPAI’s 2025 Woman of Achievement Award recipient, Proforma CEO Vera Muzzillo, has led the distributor through exponential growth while helping show the industry how to react to change. By Jonny Auping “There’s nothing greater than this industry, because we have the opportunity to change lives.” —Vera Muzzillo, CEO Proforma PPAI • JULY 2025 • 53
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