The largest distributorship in the promotional products industry is not resting on its laurels. On Monday, Sterling, Illinois-headquartered HALO (PPAI 106462, D15) announced three key talent acquisitions aimed at strengthening the company for the future.

Hemant Kumar will take on the role of executive vice president, chief financial officer. Amit Gaur will be the company’s senior vice president, chief information officer. And Rose Arendarczyk joins the organization as senior vice president of business transformation.The Additions:

Each of the hires is meant to grow the company’s technological strength. HALO CEO Marc Simon said the moves “will enhance our cultural emphasis on ingenuity and innovation.”

  • Kumar will report directly to Simon. He has worked across a variety of industries and in organizations around the world, most recently serving as CFO of Sol-Millennium Medical, a high-growth global healthcare company. Previously, he held senior finance leadership roles for Baxter, American Express and Delphi Automotive Systems.

  • Gaur will report to Kevin Pollack, HALO chief operating officer. He brings more than 20 years of technology, e-commerce, and omni-channel retail experience. He previously served as chief information officer for On-Campus Marketing and has held senior level technology roles at Cherrydale and Fanatics.

  • Also reporting to Pollack is Arendarczyk, whose role will have her overseeing a new function at the company with an emphasis on enterprise project management, business technology and organizational change management. HALO calls her a veteran leader in business transformation, who most recently was vice president of the enterprise project management office at Trustmark Companies.

Background:

  • As of the spring, HALO was estimated to produce roughly $850 million in revenue for 2022, but an announcement from 4Imprint suggested that the digitally focused Wisconsin-based competitor could push for the spot of largest distributorship, potentially reaching $1 billion in revenue this year.

  • In May, HALO made a key strategic acquisition to strengthen its presence as a preferred partner within the technology market, absorbing San Jose, California-based BrandVia.

  • HALO underwent a reshuffling of its executive management team in April, when it announced three other moves. Former PPAI President and CEO Paul Bellantone was named senior vice president of customer experience; sitting PPAI Board Chair Dawn Olds, MAS, was named senior vice president of industry relations and DEI; and Cathie Hernandez came onboard as senior vice president of drop ship operations.

What They’re Saying:

In a press release, Simon called the additions of Kumar, Gaur and Arendarczyk a result of HALO’s financial growth.

“Our growth has allowed us to both attract and invest in additional experienced leadership,” Simon says. “We are thrilled at the immediate and longer term impacts they will provide to the growing services we provide to our clients.”