The torch passes...

The email's "subject" line violated the Cardinal Rule of mystery. "PPAI names Paul Bellantone, CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer".

What--no buildup? No drumrolls? No "we'll be back with the answer right after these messages"?

In one sentence one era ends, another begins. And at this moment I began to think about Steve Slagle. Not in the "obituary" sense (because he's anything but departed) but rather as a look down the path he (and I) have traveled.

I met Steve in the late '90s, when I was a lowly consultant helping brands get into the "special markets" business, which included Promotional Products but didn't necessarily "include" them if you get my drift.

He was a Big Fish. I was scarcely a minnow (despite my physical size), but he was gracious in that Southern way, spectacularly informed about "my kind" and how they might be part of PPAI's future, and willing to assist even though there was no immediate benefit for him or his organization. I made a note to myself-"try to keep connected to this guy".

And so it went. I moved from this to that, and he always returned my phone calls, always interested in what the brands were doing, how his market might be a target for us. At the time, very few of us were engaged with Promotional Products distributors--they were "them" and not really important to us. And Steve was always personally engaged with me and my career path.

And what began as a simple introduction became much more. He introduced me to European Big Shots at PSI in Dusseldorf. Asked me (and some of my cohorts) to serve PPAI as advisors about how they could better connect with us. Came to my Dialogues conferences, always willing to share and not concerned about "keeping appearances" at the table.

One year both Steve and Tim Andrews from ASI attended Dialogues. That was during a time of "friction" between the two entities, and nobody dared bring up the subject. But the morning of the second day I had the temerity to ask "So, Steve, Tim--what the hell is going on with you two?" The silence in the room was deafening. But both men diffused the tension with a simple response--"we have disagreements on some subjects, but we have agreement on many others and still work together."

I guess that's when I realized the depth of Steve's personality--I put him (and Tim, who acquitted himself just as well) into a potentially sticky situation and he extracted himself with professionalism and credibility. If I wasn't already Sergeant-at-Arms of Steve's Fan Club before, I sure as hell was afterwards.

I'll leave it for others to assess Steve's tenure as PPAI's CEO. I'm more interested in the impact he made on me professionally and personally. He was always available, always engaged, and always looking at the Big Picture for his organization and his stakeholders as well.

I'm sure I'll be thinking about Steve this January, as I stand with my colleagues in the "brand" pavilion at Expo. If I have half a brain I'll salute Steve as a leader and the visionary who thought it was a good idea to put branded suppliers in an environment that allowed us to tell our story to a targeted audience.

Steve probably isn't going to the golf course full-time. I look forward to hearing of his next reinvention. The market will be better for whaever path he chooses.

Paul--you better grow some feet. The shoes you're filling are mighty big...


Pete