#39 Samantha Kates

Spector & Co. (asi/88660) – President

2025 Rank: #44

Industry Experience: 30 years

Previous Appearances on Counselor Power 50: 1

Spector & Co. (asi/88660) President Samantha Kates says 2026 has been a year when the supplier invested in people and products. “We added to our sales team across the U.S. and brought new talent into both field and inside sales,” she says. “We also promoted several longstanding Spector employees, and it’s been wonderful to watch them rise to the challenge of their new roles in ways far beyond our expectations.” Indeed, the Quebec-based supplier was named to the 2026 Counselor Best Places to Work list, with employees giving high marks for the company’s flexible work arrangements and staff support. And, with outstanding distributor reviews for customer service, Spector employee Joan Matticks earned the 2026 Counselor Supplier CSR of the Year award.

On the product side, Kates notes the launch of the firm’s first-ever summer collection, saying the response “has been terrific.” Another feather in Spector’s cap was winning Counselor’s 2026 Best Supplier Self-Promotion for its Valentine’s Day influencer campaign.

Kates moves up five spots on this year’s list, thanks to higher influence ratings from both her Counselor Power 50 peers as well as the overall promo industry. Mentoring is central to her leadership approach. “My first goal is to build leaders, not just teams,” she notes. “I started this career at a distributor almost 30 years ago, and the people who took time to teach me changed the course of it. I want to do that deliberately inside Spector. Secondly, I want to help our industry tell its story better. Promotional products are one of the most effective and measurable ways a brand connects with people, and we don’t always make that case well. Through my work in the industry, I want to help promo be seen as a strategic marketing channel and a career people choose on purpose.”

Of course, it hasn’t been all roses the past year. Kates explains how the company has dealt with challenges, such as distributor consolidation and overseas sourcing. “Our answer has been to double down on what a domestic supplier does best, which is inventory you can count on, fast turnaround and people who pick up the phone,” she says. “We also learned a lot about timing this year. Distributors need more runway to sell new product, so we’re giving them earlier access and more lead time. And on talent, growing a sales team takes patience. We’ve been deliberate about hiring for fit and investing in onboarding, because that’s what makes people stay.”