SanMar (asi/84863), the second largest supplier by revenue in the North American promotional products industry, has appointed two new vice presidents.

Brian Thompson, a Navy veteran who has worked at the Issaquah, WA-headquartered company for 25 years, has been promoted from director of distribution to vice president of distribution.

Meanwhile, Shelley Williams, who served in creative and marketing roles at Disney and Alaska Airlines for 20 years before joining SanMar in 2019, has been promoted from creative director to vice president of marketing. Current marketing VP Lee Strom, who has been at SanMar for 19 years, is retiring at the end of the month.

Shelley Williams and Brian Thompson, SanMar

During his decades at SanMar, Thompson has done everything from work on the call center and inside sales teams, to have a leadership role in distribution. He said he has stayed at SanMar because of the support he has received from coworkers and management.

“I knew after being here for two weeks that I wasn’t going anywhere,” said Thompson. “The employees at SanMar are amazing and the leadership is friendly and supportive. The opportunities to advance here have been incredible. There is truly a family atmosphere.”

Before coming aboard at SanMar, Williams led brand strategy and creative at Alaska Airlines. Her responsibilities included a comprehensive brand refresh. She also steered the creative strategy and design for a portfolio of websites for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

“I’m honored to be part of such an amazing, family-focused company with an incredible reputation and a heart for truly making a difference in our communities and our industry,” Williams said of SanMar. “There’s an impressive foundation to build from and an abundance of great opportunities to make an impact.”

With estimated 2018 North American promotional product revenue of $1.61 billion, SanMar ranked second on Counselor’s latest list of the largest suppliers in the industry. The company’s five-year average annual growth rate is estimated to be 10.5%.