Counselor Top 40 distributor Custom Ink (asi/173232) has named former Realtor.com CEO David Doctorow as its new chief executive officer.

Marc Katz, co-founder and former CEO of the ecommerce-driven provider of branded merchandise, is continuing as chairman of Custom Ink’s board. Katz is a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people.

David Doctorow, Custom Ink

“What Marc and the team have accomplished over the last 25 years is remarkable, and I’m honored and excited to step into the CEO role and lead Custom Ink going forward,” said Doctorow. “This is a great company, built on a foundation of strong values, and I feel deeply aligned with its mission to help people create a stronger sense of community and connection.”

Beyond leading Realtor.com, Doctorow’s background includes helping to spearhead growth in eBay’s customer acquisition and retention as head of global growth. He also helped Expedia double its sales and profit as chief marketing and strategy officer, Custom Ink said.

Marc Katz will serve as Custom Ink board chair.

“David is a proven leader with an impressive track record of building digital businesses,” said Katz. “He’s also a terrific person, and the board and I have enormous confidence in him to lead Custom Ink.”

Katz and his co-founders began working on the business that would become Custom Ink in 1999. The company formally formed in early 2000. “Leading Custom Ink and working with such great people has been an amazing 25-year experience,” said Katz. “We’ve undertaken major changes since the pandemic to refocus on our digital roots, and now it’s time for a new CEO to lead us to new heights.”

Katz’s departure comes following some struggles for Custom Ink. At the end of 2023, for instance, the company announced that it was laying off about 500 employees as it reportedly ended in-house decoration/production. Moves such as the shuttering of a production facility in Texas were undertaken to "improve performance and better align the business with its tech-oriented growth strategy."

Investors led by Great Hill Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm with billions of dollars in assets under management, recapitalized Custom Ink in 2019. The firm remains the primary investor in Custom Ink.

“We’re grateful to Marc for all he’s done to build the business to this point, as well as his continued support as chairman,” said Michael Kumin, managing director of Great Hill Partners. “He’s handing off a great brand, streamlined operating model, and the strongest profitability in the company’s history, and we’re thrilled to have David leading us forward from here.”

According to Custom Ink: From early 2020 to mid-2023, Doctorow served as CEO of Move Inc., a portfolio of real estate brands that included Realtor.com. “During his tenure, the business achieved all-time highs in revenue, EBITDA, and audience, consistently out-pacing competitors,” a Custom Ink statement said. As Realtor.com/Move Inc. CEO, Doctorow was recognized among the top 50 “Best CEOs” by employee review site Comparably based on millions of survey ratings across 70,000 companies.

Holding a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Doctorow also took home accolades that included being named one of the “Top 50 CMOs to Watch” by Boardroom Insiders, as well as a Forbes “Top 50 Most Influential CMO” – both while he was at Expedia.

Based on estimated 2022 North American promotional products revenue of $650 million, Custom Ink ranked fourth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry.