Orbus Exhibit & Display Group (asi/75209) has a new CEO.

Gary Keefer has stepped into the C-suite role at the wholesale promotional products supplier and manufacturer of display, exhibit, graphic and event solutions. He takes the reins from Giles Douglas, Orbus’ CEO of 20 years who retired in 2020. Douglas continues to serve on the firm’s board of directors.

Gary Keefer, Orbus

“Gary is the right leader for Orbus,” Douglas said in a statement. “His extensive leadership experience driving sales organizations, brands, operations, acquisitions, technology and effective supply chains will help Orbus strengthen partnerships, develop strategic alliances and expand its North American presence.”

Orbus said that Keefer has more than 25 years of executive-level leadership experience, including years of strategic development and plan execution at B2B product and service businesses. He was most recently president of Waterlogic USA, a leading supplier of point-of-use water coolers. 

Prior to his four years at Waterlogic, Keefer was vice president of national accounts, North America, at Shred-it, an information security solution providing services like hard-drive destruction and specialty shredding. 

Other past roles include executive vice president of sales and marketing at Allied Office Products and regional vice president at Corporate Express. After Corporate Express was acquired by Staples, Keefer became an area vice president for that company.

There, his responsibilities expanded to include both P&L management of the eastern U.S. market, as well as four key vertical sales initiatives on a nationwide basis, including being national accounts leader of the furniture business.

Commenting on Keefer’s experience, Orbus noted he has led and structured teams of more than 200 sales professionals in business development, account management and customer experience as both a dealer and a manufacturer. In addition to planning and executing many exhibits and events as a sales and marketing leader, throughout his career Keefer has gained an appreciation for and insight into design and visual presentation that remains “core to his values,” Orbus continued. 

“His appreciation for strong design and project management is a perfect fit for us,” Douglas said. “We believe his extensive work as a dealer and as a manufacturer, in businesses both public and private, as well as those owned by private equity, will bolster Orbus’ position in the sign, print, exhibit and promotional products industries, and springboard Orbus’ strategic growth in new verticals.”