Sustainability is getting a seat at the conference table at Koozie Group (asi/40480).

The Clearwater, FL-based Top 40 promotional products supplier has promoted Pierre Montaubin to the newly created position of chief product and sustainability officer – marking the first time that sustainability has been a part of Koozie Group’s C-suite.

Pierre Montaubin, Koozie Group

Montaubin has 14 years of experience in the promo industry. In his new role, he will continue to focus on driving innovation with new products and brands that align with the company’s Keep It. Give It. initiative. He will retain his general management role for the product innovation, sourcing, compliance and vendor relationship teams in the U.S. and Asia; additionally, he will spearhead Koozie Group’s sustainability efforts.

“This is a critical time in the promotional products industry as we address the issues facing our planet,” Montaubin said. “Sustainability is important not only to our distributors and their end-users, but also to our employees and their families.”

He also mentioned that Koozie Group has made strides with its Keep It. Give It. (KG) Factor goal, with more than 70% of its product portfolio – or 1,200-plus products – carrying the designation. The KG Factor indicates products that are designed to have a lower environmental impact through longevity. The supplier worked with a third-party company to conduct end-user surveys to determine how long they would keep a particular product. About 85% of end-users say they would keep KG Factor items until they break, according to Koozie Group.

“We have big plans to carry this progress forward to achieve even loftier goals,” Montaubin said.

Previously, Montaubin held operational and financial project management roles with BIC, Neuf Telecom and Unilog Management Consulting, with clients such as Louis Vuitton, Gerflor and Riso.

“Pierre’s years of experience across sourcing, compliance, logistics and service have proven to be an invaluable asset to Koozie Group,” said David Klatt, Koozie Group CEO and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list. “He has been instrumental in our corporate social responsibility efforts and this newly created role shows our commitment to being an industry leader in this area.”

Chief sustainability officers are a relatively new addition to the corporate C-suite, but their numbers have been on the rise. Montaubin assumed his new position at the beginning of the year.

Koozie Group has been making strides in eco-conscious efforts, announcing in November, for example, that it was sourcing paper stock from facilities that are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the Forest Stewardship Council. 

Based on reported 2021 North American promo product revenue of $300 million, Koozie Group ranked sixth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry.

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