#25 Tej Shah

Overture Promotions (asi/288473) – CEO

2025 Rank: #29

Industry Experience: 16 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 1

Since Tej Shah took over as CEO at Counselor Top 40 distributor Overture Promotions (asi/288473) last summer, he’s described himself as “laser-focused” on the customer experience. That attitude is paying off in big things for Overture – helping to propel Shah four spots higher on the Counselor Power 50 since debuting last year.

Under Shah’s leadership, the Waukegan, IL-based distributor – which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year – grew sales nearly 30% in 2025, despite continued pressures from cautious consumer behavior and economic uncertainties. That increase reflected both 18% organic growth and the acquisition of Pride Products (asi/299307), which significantly expanded Overture’s reach into the higher education and legal verticals. The distributor also expanded both its capacities in Europe and warehouse capacity in Malaysia – a continuation of its global aspirations that took shape two years ago when it acquired a Swedish distributor and formed Overture Marketing Group.

"I’m incredibly proud of how much change our team has taken on while keeping clients front and center," says Shah.

Overture was also recognized on Counselor’s 2026 Best Places to Work list, with employees citing respectful treatment and alignment with company goals as top attributes of the company.

Operational excellence, investments in automation, and leaning on data for strategic decisions have remained at the top of Shah’s priority list for Overture, drawing on both his 16 years in the industry and his background in entrepreneurship, e-commerce and tech. “We’re investing in our people and putting technology to work to make our clients’ lives easier,” he says. “Personally, I want to give our leaders more authority to make decisions and move quickly. We’re now 300-plus people, but I want us to move like we’re still 30. Not every decision should need a trip up the org chart. And I want us to keep the hustle and creativity that got us here.”