Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA), the fifth largest distributor by revenue in the North American promotional products industry, has hired Tara Denman as its chief human resources officer.

In this newly created role, Denman will lead BDA’s (asi/137616) global people strategy, including employee engagement, talent acquisition and development, and compensation/benefits offerings. She’ll also have a top role spearheading organizational effectiveness, as well as culture and diversity initiatives, the Woodinville, WA-based distributorship shared.

Tara Denman, BDA

“Nothing is more important than our people, and we take incredible pride in our vibrant, welcoming culture,” Jay Deutsch, co-founder and CEO of BDA, said in a statement. “I speak for the entire BDA executive team when I say how excited I am for Tara to join our family and help make BDA an even better place to work. To say she is ready to hit the ground running is an understatement.”

Denman brings more than 15 years of executive human resources experience to BDA. She has led culture and people strategies, talent acquisition, employee development, total rewards and employee relations across brands such as Rexford Industrial, Keypath Education, Ace (Westlake) Hardware, and H&R Block.

“There’s a reason the world’s biggest brands turn to BDA time and time again, and that’s the people,” Denman said. “I’m proud to be a part of a company that has always put its people first. I honor that achievement and look forward to bringing even more inclusive and impactful talent-centric strategies to BDA.”

In her spare time, Denman enjoys giving cooking classes in Italian, French and gluten-free cuisines. She even tried out for TV show MasterChef at one point.

With reported 2019 North American promotional product revenue of $494 million, BDA ranks fifth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry. The new rankings are due out in July 2021.

A global firm with more than 36 years of experience, BDA operates more than 70 domestic and eight international offices. Clients like Dell, ExxonMobil, The Home Depot, Johnson & Johnson, and Major League Baseball rely on BDA.