North American Leadership Conference

Alan Meinstein is the CEO of Spector & Co., a leading supplier in the promotional products industry. With over two decades of experience spanning operations, manufacturing, and strategic planning, Alan brings a deep understanding of the industry’s complexities and opportunities. Prior to joining Spector & Co. as Chief Operating Officer in 2024, he held key leadership roles at Polyconcept North America, Omnify Lighting, and Wazo Furniture, consistently driving operational excellence and transformational growth.

From launching and selling his own decorating business to overseeing multi-site operations with over $80 million in revenue, Alan’s career is marked by innovation, strong team leadership, and a relentless pursuit of quality and efficiency.

Originally based in Toronto, Alan now calls Montreal home. He’s passionate about collaboration, continuous improvement, and creating a positive impact—both in the workplace and beyond.

Bennie F. Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Marketing Association (AMA). As the leading global professional marketing association, the AMA is the essential community for marketers. From students and practitioners to executives and academics, AMA aims to elevate the profession, deepen knowledge, and make a lasting impact. AMA’s vibrant community of marketers spans more than 70 chapters and has a presence on 350 college campuses across North America. AMA is home to award-winning content, PCM® professional certification, five premiere academic journals, and industry-leading live and virtual training events. Bennie is the host of AMA’s podcast, Marketing / And.

He most recently served as the Executive Director of AIGA, the largest professional association for design. AIGA grows the power of design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, business driver and catalyst for positive impact. While at AIGA, Bennie hosted the acclaimed Design Adjacent podcast and the design leadership fireside chat series from 2020 to 2022.

Currently, he serves on the Board of Overseers for Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, and is a former Board Chair of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. Bennie is also a special advisor to the People’s Graphic Design Archive. He was recently named to the Board of the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC.

Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.

Bennie graduated from Yale University with a B.A. and from Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies with a M.S., Strategic Communications.

Brandon Mackay, MAS is an owner and CEO of SnugZ USA based in Salt Lake City, Utah. His laid back, employee-empowered leadership style has taken a small family business of six and transformed it into an industry powerhouse with over $90 million in annual sales and around 900 employees. Brandon has served on various boards, committees and work groups inside and outside the promotional products industry. He is Six-Sigma Lean Certified and is a strong advocate for process improvement and employee development.

Brandon currently resides in Utah with his wife of 30 years, Liz, their four children, 2 sons in laws, 1 daughter in law and one grandson, 3 grand-dogs and two dogs of their own. In his free time, you’ll find him outside enjoying all Utah has to offer from skiing, motocross, boating and watching his children do whatever they love. He’s passionate about life and an optimistic entrepreneur, Brandon enjoys the scenery ahead of him and the sun on his back.

About The Company
 

Since 1989, SnugZ has always been committed to providing an exceptional customer experience and producing high quality products for their customers.

Can you ask for both quality AND quantity promo gear, delivered at lightning speed? We’ve got you. For more than 3 decades, SnugZ USA has been quietly, steadfastly setting the benchmark for our craft.

We’re repping the American Dream—born in a dusty, cramped Utah attic in 1989, just 5 family members crafting eyewear retainers. 900+ employees later, our customers are still our top priority. And with every USA-made screen, fill, and stitch, our in-house team is pushing the boundaries of what promotional products can be. No matter how far we come, we’ll always live by our company values: Care Passionately, Work Like Crazy, Think Big, and Do What’s Right.

Catherine Graham is the CEO of commonsku, a workflow collaboration platform enabling more than 900 promotional products distributors to work seamlessly with clients and suppliers.  The platform was originally built in-house for Rightsleeve, a promotional products agency, where Catherine spent 12 years as President before selling the business in 2019.

Prior to her time in the industry, she worked in banking, completed an MBA and worked at eBay.  Her last role before joining the industry was as a management consultant at A.T. Kearney, working with Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of areas including merger integration, marketing strategy and operational efficiencies.

Outside of work, Catherine is a mother to 3 and currently chairs the Board of PromoStandards and Communitech.

Chris Anderson joined HandStands in 2002. At the time, HandStands was a 19-year-old manufacturer of computer accessories, with most of its revenue generated from the selling of mouse pads in the office products and promotional products channels.  Chris led HandStands’ entrance into the automotive air freshener category in 2003; and, within eight years of selling its first car air freshener, HandStands had become the NPD, IRI and Nielsen US #1 market share leader in the highly competitive category. 

In 2010, after serving in various leadership positions within the organization, Chris added the title of CEO to his existing role of HandStands President.  By 2016, HandStands revenue had grown more than 30 times the level when Chris joined the company, and its products were distributed in over 125 countries throughout the world.  In July of 2016, HandStands was sold to Energizer Holdings (the global battery and consumer products company).  In early 2017, Chris led the carve out of the “Legacy” HandStands Products’ Mouse Pad and Promotional Products business unit from Energizer. The resulting stand-alone business continued to grow rapidly, culminating in its December 2018 acquisition by HPG – a leading hardgoods supplier in the North American Promotional Products Industry.  

In the months following HandStands Products’ acquisition by HPG, Chris was named CEO of HPG, a role he continues to serve in today. In addition to his role of CEO and Board Member of HPG, Chris currently serves on the boards of JB Weld (a leading manufacturer and marketer of branded adhesive products), Durham Brands (a fast-growing innovator in the branded girls and women’s hair accessory category), Millburn & Co. (a real estate investment firm, with over $1.5 billion in assets across the U.S., focusing on the multifamily housing sector), and the Westminster College Gore School of Business.

Chris is a Summa Cum Laude Economics graduate of Westminster College, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Jamie and their four children.  Outside of business, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid aviator.  

C.J. joined Concord in 2010, and, as COO, helped grow Concord to a $50 million distributor prior to merging with Clayton Kendall in February.  Before joining Concord, C.J. helped lead Club Colors, a promotional products distributor, through two sales to private equity over 10 years.  C.J. earned a degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame in 1990 and worked for Citicorp and KPMG before joining the promo industry.

Tim Howe is the Chief Operating Officer at Spectrum Designs, where he brings global experience, big-picture strategy, and a relentless drive for impact to everything he does.

Originally from Mid Wales, Tim’s story with Spectrum’s co-founder Patrick began back in their school days at Llanfyllin High School.

After earning a law degree from King’s College London, Tim went on to complete a Master’s in Public Administration at LIU Post, specializing in Non-Profit Management. From London to Luxembourg, he’s worked across Europe in a wide range of industries, sharpening his ability to lead complex teams, streamline operations, and drive sustainable growth.

Under Howe’s leadership, Spectrum Designs has expanded its impact significantly. In 2024, the organization achieved a historic milestone by generating over 69,000 hours of paid employment and welcoming 10 new team members. The company’s social media presence also grew substantially, with one video reaching over 25 million views and its accounts gaining more than 100,000 followers. Additionally, Spectrum Designs earned certification from the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, becoming the only nonprofit to achieve this distinction and demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability.

At Spectrum Designs, Tim guides Managers and Department Heads while championing operational excellence and helping hit ambitious sales and growth targets.

A recognized leader in the promotional products industry, Tim holds the Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) designation and has received numerous accolades, including SAAGNY’s Rising Star Award (2017), PPAI’s National Rising Star Award (2018), and a double 40 Under 40 nod from SAAGNY and the Business Council of Westchester (2021 & 2022).

Howe’s dedication to fostering inclusive employment opportunities has been recognized by major tech companies. He has represented Spectrum Designs at events hosted by Google and Microsoft, sharing best practices for creating neurodiverse workforces.

In addition to his role at Spectrum Designs, Howe co-authored the book “INKclusivity: Company Benefits of Disability Inclusion & How-to Implementation Guide for the Print Industry,” further advocating for the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workforce.

He is a proud member of the International Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, He also serves on the Board of HII Tech, an innovative R&D incubator creating game-changing tools for people with disabilities and aging populations.

In the midst of the chaotic forces impacting business and the economy, Ron Insana delivers clear insights business leaders and financial professionals can use to make smarter decisions. A pioneer in television financial news reporting, Ron is currently senior analyst and commentator at CNBC. He also hosts The Market Score Board Report, a daily nationally syndicated radio program. Ron had a front row seat to the transformative AI revolution during his time as CEO of iFi AI, an AI-powered stock research platform created in partnership with IBM watsonx. He is also founder and CEO of The Insana Entertainment Group, a film and TV production company. Ron is author of four books on investing and financial markets dynamics. In his speeches, Ron makes sense of the business, economic, technological, and political news – distilling it into actionable insights his audience can use to navigate change, protect what they have, and spot fresh opportunities. Besides keynoting, he is also an outstanding moderator and interviewer.

Ron’s career in financial reporting was a total accident. He had graduated from college with a degree in film production when a producer friend at the Financial News Network hired him on as a freelance producer in 1984. FNN was the first television network devoted exclusively to financial news. One day in 1985 the network’s only two anchors got sick on the same day and Ron found himself on the air for a full eight-hour shift. With that, Ron’s financial broadcasting career was born. When the Financial News Network merged with CNBC in 1991, Ron became a regular anchor there and a frequent presence on other NBC News shows.

Ron was named one of the “Top 100 Business News Journalists of the 20th Century” and was nominated for a news and

documentary Emmy for his role in NBC’s coverage of 9/11.

His four books on Wall Street, include: TrendWatching: Don’t Be Fooled by the Next Investment Fad, Mania, or Bubble; The Message of the Markets: How Financial Markets Foretell the Future–and How You Can Profit from Their Guidance; Traders’ Tales: A Chronicle of Wall Street Myths, Legends, and Outright Lies; and How to Make a Fortune from the Biggest Bailout in U.S. History: A Guide to the 7 Greatest Bargains from Main Street to Wall Street.

Ron is a highly regarded lecturer on domestic and global economics, financial markets, and economic policy issues. Ron

graduated with honors from California State University at Northridge.