Exactly six months after announcing the pending retirement of CEO Tim Andrews, ASI has now announced his successor. Ashish Mittal will take over leadership of the company beginning April 1, the day after Andrews’ official retirement, having spent 23 years with the company.

  • Siblings Matthew Cohn and Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer, third generation stewards of ASI, are now co-chairs of the ASI board.
  • Norman Cohn transitions into the role of chairman emeritus.

Ashish Mittal

Incoming CEO, ASI

“ASI occupies a unique and essential position in the promotional products market, and I’m energized by the opportunity to deepen relationships with our members through technology, insights and community,” Mittal said in the announcement. “What impressed me most is the passion of the people who make up this industry and the Cohn family’s decades-long commitment to support them. I’m honored to join ASI and look forward to building on the strong foundation already in place.”

An AI-Background And An Appreciation For The Tangible

Mittal comes to ASI with impressive experience in technology platforms, something that the company believes will help lead ASI into the future.

“In Ashish we found a leader with the experience, judgment and energy to guide ASI into its next chapter,” said Matthew Cohn in ASI’s annoucement. “He understands how technology platforms grow, how marketplace networks create value for both sides and, most importantly, how to lead organizations that depend on trust, relationships and long-term thinking.”

  • Most recently, Mittal served as president and COO of Sticky.io, a subscription payment platform, where he launched AI initiatives across different departments.
  • Prior to that, he spent nearly three years as director of strategic partnerships at Gopuff, a software enabled delivery service for groceries.
  • For more than a decade he was the vice president of strategic partnerships at ecommerce company ShopRunner.


All three stops involved interfacing with partners to build relationships outside of the company while implementing technology within company walls in order to enable growth.

He leads with genuine care for people and an unwavering commitment to serving customers first.”

Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer

Co-Chair, ASI Board

“He leads with genuine care for people and an unwavering commitment to serving customers first,” Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer told ASI’s Theresa Hegel. “His experience leading innovative technology companies will help ASI continue to evolve while staying firmly focused on serving the needs of our members across the promotional products industry.”

As someone who has implemented AI within his various career stops, it is not lost on Mittal that tangible products like the ones in the branded merch world are more resonant now than ever.

“In a world where AI can generate anything, the things you can actually hold – that bear a brand, that tell a story – have never mattered more.”

Ashish Mittal

Incoming CEO, ASI

“In a world where AI can generate anything, the things you can actually hold – that bear a brand, that tell a story – have never mattered more,” Mittal said.

As Norman Cohn moves into the role of chairman emeritus, he told Hegel that it is heartening to see ASI take on this next chapter.

“I’m proud to see ASI enter this next chapter with Ashish as CEO and Matthew and Stephanie formally stepping into their roles as co-chairs,” Cohn said. “So many of the businesses in the industry are family businesses just like ours – and for me, seeing our continued commitment to the industry and having the next generation of our family lead ASI forward reflects the strength of the foundation we’ve built and the bright future ahead.”