Koozie Group (asi/40480) has its new chief executive officer.

The Clearwater, FL-headquartered Top 40 supplier announced today that it has promoted Pierre Montaubin to CEO. He’ll also be chief executive of IMAGEN Brands (asi/93990), a former Top 40 supplier that Koozie Group acquired in 2020.

Pierre Montaubin, Koozie Group

Montaubin was most recently chief product and sustainability officer for Koozie Group.

“I’m proud and excited about this opportunity,” Montaubin told ASI Media. “Our top priority is to continue to enhance the experience our customers have with us and to deliver consistently, day in and day out, on every order for our clients.”

As chief executive officer, Montaubin replaces David Klatt, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people. Earlier this year, Klatt moved on from the CEO role and became an adviser to Koozie Group’s board.

According to the company, Klatt’s move was a planned transition set to occur following five years as CEO and as a board member at Koozie Group under the controlling ownership of H.I.G. Capital, a private equity firm that acquired the supplier in 2017.

Koozie Group’s executive team, which included Montaubin, had been working with the board since Klatt’s transition to lead the company, according to the firm. Klatt remains an adviser to the board.

Continuity in Leadership

Montaubin got his start in the promotional products industry when he took over the Hong Kong-based sourcing operations of BIC Graphic and Norwood Promotional Products in 2009. In late 2017, he moved to the United States to continue his work with the Top 40 supplier then known as BIC Graphic North America.

The company officially rebranded as Koozie Group at the start of 2021.

After coming stateside for Koozie Group/BIC, Montaubin was vice president of global support services, vice president of product management and sourcing, and senior vice president of product management and sourcing before rising to the C-Suite.

“From the team’s perspective, it’s excellent to have the continuity in leadership that comes with Pierre’s appointment,” said Melissa Ralston, a Power 50 member and chief revenue officer at Koozie Group. “Pierre is one of our own – someone who knows this industry and who knows what we need to do to keep improving for our customers.”

Along with Montaubin’s promotion, Koozie Group also revealed that Ralston is taking on additional responsibilities. Beyond sales and marketing, the customer service team will now also be under her direct purview.

Speaking candidly in an interview with ASI Media, Montaubin and Ralston acknowledged that Koozie Group had a few years in which “the customer service experience was pretty rough.” 

“Pierre is one of our own – someone who knows this industry and who knows what we need to do to keep improving for our customers.” Melissa Ralston, Koozie Group

Still, the Koozie Group leaders said the firm has made significant strides to improve that experience, pointing to advancements like its Koozie Group Order Tracker and a 4.5-star supplier rating in ESP, an ASI technology solution that includes a database of products from across the promo industry. They also noted that Koozie Group is back to standard lead times with over 450 items available in 24 hours.

“What we really aim to drill down on is consistency – on always coming through on what our clients are expecting in terms of quality, interaction with us, and order delivery,” Montaubin said. 

Going forward, it’s on Montaubin’s agenda to visit with customers to better understand how Koozie Group can improve service further. “We want to know what the roadblocks are and work through them,” he said.

Keeping Koozie Group’s supply chain strong and its inventory well-stocked will be another essential focus. Such efforts will include balancing China-based manufacturing with potential sourcing diversification that could see some production moved closer to North America, though getting the geographic balance right amid the complexities and challenges of global sourcing will be key, Montaubin said.

Koozie Group’s efforts to offer more environmentally-friendly products and to operate in a more sustainable manner will also continue to expand, Montaubin said. The firm is already planning to be carbon neutral on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by the end of 2024. “We’ve just scratched the surface on sustainability,” Montaubin said. Relatedly, continuing to advance social responsibility efforts will be paramount. In 2022, Koozie Group donated more than $750,000 across 400 nonprofits, the company said.

Montaubin received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Provence and a master of management from the NEOMA Business School. Prior to his career in promotional products, he held operational and financial project management roles with BIC, Neuf Telecom, and Unilog Management Consulting, with clients such as Louis Vuitton, Gerflor, and Riso.

Based on reported 2022 North American promotional product revenue of $317 million, Koozie Group ranked seventh on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry.