ASI’s Counselor Magazine Names Industry’s 50 Most Powerful People

Marty Lott of SanMar captures No. 1 spot; five newcomers hit list

TREVOSE, PA – November 13, 2012 – The Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) today released the names of the industry business leaders ranked most powerful on the coveted Counselor^® Power 50 list.

The 50 high-ranking leaders were recognized at the sixth annual ASI Power Summit at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida, as the most powerful executives in today’s ad specialty market.

The top-ranked executives in the 2012 Counselor Power 50 list are:

• Marty Lott, SanMar (asi/84863)
• Kevin Lyons-Tarr, 4imprint (asi/197045)
• Michael Bernstein and David Nicholson, Polyconcept
• Eric Bensussen and Jay Deutsch, BDA (asi/137616)
• Greg Muzzillo and Vera Muzzillo, Proforma (asi/300094)
• Marc Simon, Halo Branded Solutions (asi/356000)
• Gene Geiger and Jo-an Lantz, Geiger (asi/202900)
• Rich Witaszak, Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601)
• David Woods, AIA Corporation (asi/109480)

“The trendsetters and power brokers on the 2012 Power 50 list set the industry gold standard for everyone else to follow,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “Earning a spot on this coveted list requires a distinct combination of power, influence and winning agendas. It’s easy to understand why perennial favorite Marty Lott, the founder and president of SanMar and Counselor’s 2011 Person of the Year, captured the No. 1 spot. Marty guarantees that the paramount concern of every person in his organization is the customer, and when the customer is happy, everybody wins.”

The Power 50 list also contains five newcomers:

• Dale Adams, Omnicom DAS
• Emmanuel Bruno, Norwood & BIC Graphic North America (asi/40480)
• Sharon, Taly and Ely Eyal, ETS Express (asi/51197)
• Joe Fleming, Hub Pen (asi/61966)
• Alan Chippindale, BrandAlliance (asi/268940)

Rankings are based in part on a Counselor survey that asks the industry at large and members of the previous Power 50 to rate whether each person has gained or lost influence over the past year, and to nominate new candidates. A panel of editorial experts at the award-winning Counselor magazine also carefully weighs nominees’ achievements and revenue throughout the year and the health of their companies.

This year’s group was announced at the ASI Power Summit, an exclusive event attended by more than 250 executives and business leaders from around the globe who discuss vital issues, identify best practices and determine ways in which the ad specialty industry can productively move forward.

Distributors and suppliers can learn more about members of the 2012 Power 50 in the December issue of Counselor.