Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) announced today the hiring of Jill Albers as its director of client success. Albers, who left Shumsky (asi/326300) last month after eight years at the company, will continue to be based in Ohio and work in a variety of roles at her new firm.

Jill Albers

“Jill is incredibly talented and will no doubt help us in strategic outreach, RFPs, business development and even mentoring our younger employees,” said Phil Koosed, BAMKO’s president. “Jill is a great fit for our business and our culture and we’re excited to have her join us.”

Counselor has learned at least five Top 40 distributors were interested in hiring Albers, who ranked #44 on the 2017 Power 50 list of the most influential leaders in the promotional products market.

“I’m ecstatic to join BAMKO,” said Albers. “The company is on the cutting edge of where our industry is headed, and its understanding of the importance of safety and social compliance makes them market leaders. BAMKO also has an amazing grasp on the technology needed to really take care of a client today, and its focus on customer experience is second to none. I’m so eager to learn from Phil and his team, and create ground-breaking promotional marketing experiences for their clients. That’s really my passion and I feel BAMKO can be an incredible catalyst for that.”

Until last year, BAMKO, which is owned by publicly-traded Superior Uniform Group, was a relative unknown in the promo products market. Then, in August of 2017, the firm purchased Public Identity, and in November acquired Tangerine Promotions, a former Top 40 distributor. The deals contributed to BAMKO’s 89.8% increase in 2017 sales, which totaled $79.9 million. Counselor ranks Los Angeles-based BAMKO as the 25th largest distributor in the industry.

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