Anne McKeough is moving on.

One of the promotional products industry’s most well-known and respected leaders is leaving her position as vice president of global sales at Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601), the second-largest distributor in promo based on estimated 2020 North American industry revenue of $643.6 million.

Her last day with Staples will be Sept. 24.

Anne McKeough is leaving Staples Promotional Products to join the American Red Cross.

McKeough will be taking on the role of chief development officer for the American Red Cross. She’ll be responsible for leading the overall strategic direction and implementation of programs designed to raise funds from individuals, corporations, foundations and community organizations. As part of the senior leadership team, she’ll develop and implement short and long-term strategies designed to provide mission growth/expansion.    

“I am humbled and honored to be joining the executive team at the ARC,” McKeough told ASI Media. “They are adamant about leading with heart, something that I believe makes the difference in driving great results. Many on the ARC leadership team come from the private sector and are highly accomplished business executives. I am excited to have the opportunity to work beside them, applying my expertise and talents to help those impacted by natural disasters around the world.”

Staples leadership is happy for McKeough.

“We are 100% behind Anne as she transitions to this new role, and we are excited both for her and for the American Red Cross,” said Matt Eckhouse, senior vice president of sales at Staples Business Advantage.

Eckhouse continued: “Over the course of her 22 years with Staples, Anne made a tremendous impact on our client relationships and sales growth trajectory. She now leaves amidst some of our strongest sales results to date. We are extremely grateful for all that Anne has done for Staples and for our industry.”

A successor to McKeough has not yet been named. Staples didn’t provide a timeline for making the appointment, but noted that a qualified leader will fill the role “in due course.”

“I have been so privileged to travel the world, building partnerships and alliances to support many of the world’s largest brands,” McKeough told ASI Media of her time at Staples. “What I am most proud of is how we built an amazing organization and a sales culture where each and every person was valued and appreciated for the unique talents they brought to the team. I have been so grateful to work with such an incredibly talented team that is strategic, creative and play to win. I learned from them every day.”

McKeough co-ranked seventh on Counselor magazine’s most recent Power 50, a ranking of the most influential people in the promotional products industry.

She was also Counselor’s 2019 Distributor Woman of Distinction.

McKeough began in promo as a marketing vice president at Corporate Express at a time when some would have balked at a woman holding such a pivotal leadership position. She was the first female member of the executive team. Within a year, her role expanded, and she was running both the marketing and sales teams.

Witty, smart and strategic, McKeough’s deft execution, genuine care for her team members and downright likeable personality helped her ascend to the vitally important position of vice president of sales at Staples in 2008.

Over the years, McKeough has recruited and mentored top talent, as well as created a vision that facilitated the continual enhancement of a platform that supports the needs of major global customers.

For McKeough, it was all in good fun. “Developing people and seeing them do amazing things has been something I am very proud of,” she says. “The complexities and challenges of this business continue to astound me. What I have loved, though, is seeing the impact that the right product, done really well, can have on driving results, creating emotion and developing loyalty. The deep partnerships and friendships with key supplier partners have been extraordinary as we executed impossible projects and drove amazing results.”