Minnesota-based Fields (PPAI 111951, Gold) has appointed Brendan Bushy as national account manager.

• He comes to the supplier from the financial industry and will focus on client relationships and driving strategic initiatives to further enhance distributor success and business growth.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brendan to our team,” says Matt Wagner, vice president of sales at Fields. “His passion and drive for customer success will be instrumental in fostering our relationships with key accounts and helping to build our business to the next level.”

Bushy says, “I look forward to being immersed in the industry of branded merch and supporting our key accounts to help their businesses succeed.”

Proforma (PPAI 196835, Platinum) has brought on Bori Ly as vice president of business development.

• Ly will work closely with Proforma Founder Greg Muzzillo and the business development team to expand Proforma’s industry recruiting efforts.
• With more than nine years of diverse experience, Ly most recently was regional vice president of strategic operations support at American Solutions for Business.

“Vera and I are thrilled to welcome Bori to the Proforma family as our new vice president of business development,” says Muzzillo. “His extensive experience and proven leadership skills make him the ideal candidate to help expand our industry recruiting efforts and to drive the growth of our distributor owners and the Proforma network.”

“I’m very excited to join Proforma and be a part of a company that is truly revolutionizing our industry with its $30 million plus investment in technology,” says Ly. “Proforma’s commitment to driving the success of its distributor owners resonates deeply with me.”

Vantage Apparel (PPAI 113235, Platinum) continues its 1% for the Planet Stewardship with a cumulative contribution to Clean Ocean Action of more than $30,000. The donation is in line with the company’s participation in the 1% for the Planet initiative, reinforcing its dedication to making a positive impact on the environment.

• Since Vantage launched its proprietary Earthwise Collection in 2021, a line featuring garments made from high-quality recycled polyester derived from plastic water bottles, distributors have helped recycle more than 1.5 million water bottles.
• Clean Ocean Action is a nonprofit organization that has been at the forefront of environmental advocacy for over four decades.

Vantage CEO Rob Watson says, “At Vantage Apparel, we understand the importance of environmental responsibility, and we are committed to making a positive difference. Our contribution to Clean Ocean Action is a testament to our dedication to sustainable business practices and the preservation of our planet for future generations.”

This year’s DunkFest, the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament challenge started by iPROMOTEu (PPAI 218870, Platinum) in 2008, officially ended last week when the University of Connecticut (UConn) took home the win over Purdue.

• A total of 230 participants from across the U.S. and Canada entered brackets for a chance to win this year’s competition.
• The overall winner was Mickey Mann, of iPROMOTEu affiliate Image Packaging, who correctly selected three of the final four teams. Long-time affiliate and iPROMOTEu Hall of Famer Duane Chase of Sir Logo and Lance Stier of NC Custom had the second-best selections, each finishing with 99.2 percentile brackets. Laurie Self of IMS Retail, Brett Lewis of Brett Lewis Promotions and Kyle Kalma of Q Group each had brackets in the top 98.8 percentile.
• In the supplier division, Jason Adams of CHIPS finished in second place behind Stier, and Richard Spector of Spector Marketing Group submitted the third-place bracket. iPROMOTEu staff members Rachel Silverstein and Carrie Lewis also finished in the top 10. Commemorative trophies will be awarded to all the winners.