Counselor Top 40 distributor Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA, asi/137616) is working hard to build its business internationally, and the Woodinville, WA-headquartered merch agency has now tapped Stuart Shepherd to help spearhead the effort in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

BDA announced Wednesday, Feb. 19, that it has promoted London, U.K.-based Shepherd from sales director in EMEA to managing director of the multi-continental region. In the elevated role, Shepherd will focus on aligning BDA’s regional operations, enhancing supply chain efficiency and propelling sales growth.

Stuart Shepherd, BDA (asi/137616)

“Stuart’s operational know-how and vast network of supplier and partner relationships will support both internal teams and clients in driving measurable business growth,” said Jay Deutsch, CEO of BDA and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of the promotional products industry’s most influential people. “We’re grateful to have Stuart at the helm of EMEA operations.”

BDA said Shepherd’s appointment further signals its ambitions to expand its business in EMEA, as the appointment builds on acquisitions of recent years that include imp | gruppe in Germany and The Great Branding Company in the United Kingdom.

For sure, BDA already has high-profile clients in EMEA, including globally followed England-based football (soccer) clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, the French Football Association and FIFA, world soccer’s governing body. Last September, the company announced that it will serve as the Seattle Seahawks’ official branded-merchandise partner in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A study from ASI Research shows that distributors' collective sales across the United Kingdom, European Union and Iceland, Norway and Switzerland totaled nearly $14.1 billion in 2023.

“I look forward to building on this foundation and ensuring clients across EMEA benefit from the very best in global supply chain management and industry-leading branded merchandise expertise,” Shepherd said.

“Stuart’s operational know-how and vast network of supplier and partner relationships will support both internal teams and clients in driving measurable business growth.” Jay Deutsch, BDA (asi/137616)

Shepherd has what BDA described as 27 years of leadership experience in sales, including time as a sales director at Duke of London. He began his career in law before going on to manage and direct sales teams. He’s been with BDA for nearly eight years.

Based on reported 2023 North American promotional product revenue of $452 million, BDA ranked sixth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry. The firm has been in business for more than 40 years, providing marketing, branded merchandise, e-commerce and fulfillment solutions for sports organizations, entertainment industry clients and Fortune 1000 enterprises, among others.

In addition to its international acquisitions, BDA in December 2024 announced that it had acquired SwagUp (asi/340527), a New Jersey-based distributorship that offers what executives described as a streamlined platform for creating, automating and distributing branded merchandise.