#1 Jo-an Lantz

Geiger (asi/202900) – President/CEO

2023 Rank: #5

Industry Experience: Entire Career

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 18

It’s one of the fastest-growing, fiercely competitive new arenas for the promo industry’s top distributors, and Jo-an Lantz has positioned Counselor Top 40 distributor Geiger at the forefront of it. That’s a key reason why Lantz, an industry veteran who was Counselor’s 2020 Person of the Year, rises to the top spot on this year’s Counselor Power 50.

The competition in question? International expansion.

Increasingly, leading domestic distributors are generating business beyond North America – a phenomenon driven by the desire to spur sales through serving new customers in a growing number of countries (particularly in Europe) and the demands of global clients that want support across borders.

Lantz – and by extension, Geiger – has established itself as an unquestioned leader in the global push.

Indeed, Geiger has been making strategic acquisitions in Europe since 2018, activity that has established the Lewiston, ME-headquartered firm as one of the most formidable distributors in the United Kingdom – Europe’s second largest national market for promo sales.

Then, this year, Geiger made its first acquisition in Germany, Europe’s biggest promo market, buying distributor WER GmbH. Announced in July, the Deutschland deal was followed less than a month later by Geiger’s acquisition of Brandelity in England. Currently, Geiger has more than 275 employees across the United Kingdom, European Union and Asia.

“Expanding our international footprint has been a game-changer,” says Lantz. “This expansion allows us to enhance our services and support for our international clients.”

Lantz is also one of promo’s greatest global diplomats. Through Geiger she represents the United States formally as a member of WAGE (World Advertising Gifts Exchange), a global promo network with companies in over 25 countries. And just this month she chaired the very first GXN (Global Executive Network) Women’s Leadership Council, a collective of international female promo leaders – a position that Lantz will continue to hold going forward.

Of course, Geiger remains a massive player in the North American market, generating $330.3 million in 2023 domestic revenue and proving itself a pioneer within promo when it comes to sustainability.

To wit, Geiger’s U.S. headquarters is powered by a nearly 700-panel solar array and it has a division responsible for vetting suppliers, ensuring ethical practices and minimizing environmental impact throughout the supply chain. This year, the distributorship earned a “gold” ranking from EcoVadis, a globally recognized assessment platform that rates businesses’ sustainability.

Beyond the performance of her company, Lantz has proven to be the promo industry’s ultimate connector who effortlessly bonds with suppliers and distributors alike. Her performance at last year’s ASI Power Summit – where she moderated a panel of Counselor Top 40 leaders – served as a visual on-stage reminder of that innate ability. Relatedly, in this year’s Counselor Power 50 survey, her fellow Power 50 members gave her extremely high marks for influence.

And not to be forgotten is her graceful leadership in the wake of the fatal mass shooting that occurred last fall in Lewiston, ME, the town where Geiger is headquartered and where Lantz was born and raised.

Lantz is proud of all of Geiger’s progress, emphasizing it’s only through team effort that positive results are possible. “The last couple of years we’ve balanced our teams with associates with longtime tenure and institutional knowledge and attracted highly talented new team members,” Lantz shares. “The Geiger team is vibrant, strong, fun, and is driving our plans forward.”