Awards October 26, 2026
Counselor Power 50 2026: No. 34 Chris Vernon & Lisa Hubbard, The Vernon Company
Welcome to the 2026 Counselor Power 50 list, which ranks the most influential people in the promo products industry.
#34 Chris Vernon & Lisa Hubbard
The Vernon Company (asi/351700)
Chris Vernon – President/CEO
2025 Rank: #30
Industry Experience: 39 years
Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 20
Lisa Hubbard – VP of Sales & Marketing
2025 Rank: #30
Industry Experience: 6 years
Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 4
Chris Vernon, who’s been a Counselor Power 50 member every year since the list’s inception, and Lisa Hubbard are accelerating the continuing digital makeover of Counselor Top 40 distributor The Vernon Company (asi/351700) while staying true to its relationship-driven culture. “We successfully advanced key technology initiatives, including integrations and expansion of our on-demand and e-commerce platforms, making it easier for customers and sales teams to do business with us,” notes Hubbard, the VP of sales & marketing. “We’ve also strengthened partnerships, created new growth opportunities for our account executives and supplier partners, and maintained a strong focus on serving our customers while investing in the future of our business.”
Highlights for the 124-year-old family-owned firm included being named once again on the Counselor Best Places to Work list. The focus on employee satisfaction has helped the business succeed. “Like many companies in our industry, we faced the challenge of balancing innovation with change management,” Hubbard says. “We addressed this by keeping our teams engaged and listening to feedback. Our team’s willingness to embrace change and collaborate across departments has been critical to overcoming these challenges.”
Vernon and Hubbard fall four spots on this year’s Counselor Power 50 list, following a nearly 5% decline in sales last year. Looking toward 2027, the leaders want to further leverage technology to simplify the ordering and buying processes and help more businesses access the power of branded promo. “Equally important,” Hubbard adds, “we want to continue developing our people and fostering a culture where relationships and service drive long-term success.”
AI Perspective
Hubbard: “We’ve developed an AI Task Force that has initiated an enterprise-wide analysis of key administrative processes across the entire order cycle. We’re identifying opportunities to streamline presales quoting, daily order-management and follow-up, while gaining a clearer understanding of key performance metrics along with giving proactive insights to our sales team. Our goal isn’t simply to implement AI. It’s to use it intentionally to make our people more effective and our customer experience even better. Looking toward 2027 and beyond, we believe the greatest opportunity will be in combining AI with the things technology can’t replace: creativity, expertise, trust and relationships. That combination can be incredibly powerful for Vernon and for the entire industry.”