iPROMOTEu – ranked the No. 13 distributor in the inaugural PPAI 100 – is soon to have a new leader for the first time.

Ross Silverstein, president and CEO of the Wayland, Massachusetts-based firm, is retiring effective January 31, 2024. Lori Bauer, senior vice president of affiliate sales and support at iPROMOTEu, will be taking over as CEO.

Launching iPROMOTEu in 1999, Silverstein has been at the helm for nearly a quarter century. 

“iPROMOTEu started as nothing but an idea, and it has evolved into one of the largest and most successful distributor organizations in the industry,” Silverstein says. “Presently, iPROMOTEu is in the strongest and best condition in its 24-year history. This is a melancholy moment for me, but the time is right to make this transition, for me and for the company.”

New Era For iPROMOTEu

“Ross has led iPROMOTEu through remarkable growth and he will be greatly missed,” Bauer says. “The extraordinary iPROMOTEu community is a testament to his vision, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. Ross is a great leader who has always been invested in setting up his team and iPROMOTEu’s Affiliates for tremendous success. I sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence he has in me to lead iPROMOTEu into the future.”

Bauer, who has been appointed to a two-year, at-large director position on the PPAI Board of Directors beginning in January 2024, joined iPROMOTEu in 2021. 

Previously, she spent 23 years at Koozie Group, where she was an integral part of the supplier’s success with responsibilities spanning across sales and marketing. Named a PPB Rising Star in 2010 and honored with the PPAI RAC Volunteer of the Year Award in 2015, she has long been a supporter of PPAI’s Women’s Leadership Conference, serving on the WLC Advisory Group for multiple years.

• Bauer has also served as president of the Promotional Products Association of Florida (PPAF) and as board chair of the Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF).

Distributor Network

iPROMOTEu is a network of more than 1,100 independent distributor affiliates and salespeople across the United States and Canada.

• The company provides extensive support to its affiliates, from back office support and secure tech tools to ongoing education and suggestions on how to reduce environmental impact.
• The company and its affiliates have earned PPAI Pyramid Awards annually since 2010, and in 2023, iPROMOTEu ranked among PPAI’s #Online18 for its posts full of useful stats, resources and story links.
• Since 2008, the company also brings the industry together online each March with DunkFest, a friendly competition open to anyone working in the promotional products industry.

 

“With iPROMOTEu’s stature in the industry, its incredible staff that is committed to the company’s core values, and its outstanding Affiliate network that is second to none, iPROMOTEu is poised for continued excellence and success,” said Bauer. “The future is bright at iPROMOTEu, and I look forward to continuing our mission to provide the best economic and lifestyle opportunity for promotional products distributors and salespeople.”

Written by: John Corrigan

Published with Permission from PPAI