Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, Platinum) – ranked the No. 10 supplier in the inaugural PPAI 100 – has announced that Melissa Ralston is stepping down from her role as chief revenue officer, effective May 31.
As part of the transition, Trish Daly, currently vice president of sales operations at the Clearwater, Florida-based company, will move into the vice president of sales role and join the executive staff.
- Daly has been with Koozie Group for nearly 30 years in a variety of sales, marketing and product development roles.
- She will take on responsibility for the entire sales organization and report directly to CEO Pierre Montaubin.
- Koozie Group says there will be no changes to the senior leaders in customer operations and marketing, who will now report to the COO and CEO, respectively.
“The last several years have been a defining period for Koozie Group as we’ve made key investments in people, processes and technology; dramatically improved customer experience and satisfaction; launched a successful social impact and sustainability strategy; and greatly enhanced our product, service and retail brand solutions – all of which have helped to advance important growth targets,” Montaubin says.
“Melissa has been instrumental in steering many of these advancements, but, perhaps most importantly, in establishing an operational infrastructure that positions us exceptionally well to accelerate our growth trajectory. In many ways, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface in terms of the market opportunity ahead of us. As she moves on to her next personal and professional chapters, we’re grateful for all of her contributions.”
Ralston’s Impact
For nearly 20 years, Ralston has worked in the promo industry with global leadership roles across marketing, product management, sourcing and sales.
She has been with Koozie Group, formerly known as BIC Graphic North America, for nearly a decade, serving as chief marketing officer before becoming chief revenue officer in 2021.
- Among her many contributions, Ralston spearheaded the launch and served as executive sponsor of the company’s “Keep It. Give It.” social impact and sustainability task force.
“I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to work with amazing teams and am proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” Ralston says. “The right people and processes are in place, and as I step away, I’m confident that Koozie Group is well-positioned for continued growth and success.”
Ralston recently served two years as an at-large director on the PPAI Board of Directors that were defined by important board decisions on key investments as the Association worked to scale back up post-pandemic and pursue its new mission and vision.
In Her Blood
Ralston’s roots in the advertising industry date back three generations, as her grandfather owned an ad agency (where her father also worked), which he later sold to a large firm.
- While attending the University of Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s in international advertising and a master’s in international business, Ralston dabbled in public relations, communications and sales.
But years before working in the industry, her earliest brush with promotional products was with T-shirts she’d collect every year from an annual Thanksgiving run in which her family participated together.
- This experience would come full-circle early on in her 20-year career when she was the marketing communications manager with Chris-Craft Corporation, a Sarasota, Florida-based powerboat manufacturer.
- There she was responsible for working with a promotional products distributor to purchase branded products for Chris-Craft boat-owners and fans to buy on the company website.
Written by: John Corrigan
Published with Permission from PPAI
