34. Nikki Stella

AIM Smarter/Altitude Group

2019 Rank: N/A

Title: CEO

Industry Experience: 15 years

With a long list of professional accomplishments, plus an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral psychology, Nikki Stella has a well-rounded, in-depth understanding of people. And that’s certainly translated into a successful career in the promo industry, from her time as editorial director and president of Promo Marketing Media Group at NAPCO (a B2B company serving multiple industries, including promotional products) to becoming president of Altitude Group. A year after her arrival at the publicly traded company based in the U.K., she was elevated to CEO and soon after engineered the acquisition of AIM Smarter, a Philadelphia-based distributor network of over 2,500 distributor members in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. (Stella also oversees AIM Capital Solutions, a full business finance and back-office solution.)

During her impressive rise through the ranks, the Philly-area native says being a woman hasn’t kept her from feeling at home in the C-suite, nor has she ever received any pushback. “In fact, I never even gave the possibility a thought,” Stella adds. “Throughout my early career, I always raised my hand and jumped at the opportunity to stretch my skill set and grow my experience. I was confident in my capabilities and not afraid to roll up my sleeves and work hard to achieve the goals that were laid out before me. Confidence, in asking for the opportunity and in voicing your ideas, your strategy and your vision, is key for all women.”

Her business acumen has served her well this year as AIM expanded its presence in the U.K. by adding more than 500 U.K.-based distributors and supplier partners and hosted its first virtual national sales meeting. Using its cloud-based technology, AIM launched a variety of tools (including integrated product data and supplier access through ESP) to give affiliates real-time information and assistance in everything from supplier partner updates to PPE products. And Stella directed the same attention to her company’s employees. “From the onset of the pandemic, my primary goal was to ensure the health and wellbeing of the global AIM team,” says Stella.

Going forward, Stella’s immediate goals are to help the firm’s distributor members and AIM Capital Solutions’ affiliates “survive and ultimately thrive, support our supplier partners and continue to drive the spirit of innovation and collaboration within our community,” she says. “We have an incredibly resilient and supportive community that I’m very proud to be a part of.”