50. Memo Kahan

PromoShop (asi/300446)

2019 Rank: N/A

Title: President

Industry Experience: 28 years

Back on the Power 50 list after an extended absence, Kahan, as always, manages to fly under the radar yet cultivates a sizable fan base. As the head of a minority-owned business – one of few Top 40 entities to have that designation – Kahan’s success comes from his continued willingness to take risks, his well-known and respected leadership team headed by Kris Robinson and Kim Bakalyar, and his talent for some of the most creative self-promo campaigns in the business. He also takes the initiative to seek out vendors who are woman-, minority- and LGBTQ-owned, paying it forward. But it’s his sales acumen and ability to connect that makes his colleagues take note. While many industry virtual events have been a “work in progress” (to put it charitably), Kahan and his team held a top-notch online end-buyer show, complete with clever pre-event mailers that leaned heavily into nostalgia (blissfully pre-COVID) and a wild, rollicking, show-stopping new product launch party. How good was it? During the hour-plus duration, the event’s attendance of 500+ clients never dipped below 90%. Because it was, of course, inspirational, unique and authentic – just like Kahan.