Overture Promotions (asi/288473), a Counselor Top 40 distributor, has named industry veteran Tej Shah chief executive officer. Shah succeeds Jo Gilley, a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people.

Previously executive vice president of global sales and marketing, Shah has been part of Overture’s leadership team for 15 years, the firm said.

Tej Shah, Overture Promotions (asi/288473)

“I’m honored to step into the CEO role as we enter an exciting new phase in our company’s evolution,” Shah said in a statement. “With a phenomenal team, strong momentum and a commitment to innovation and service, I look forward to building on Jo’s contributions and leading us into our next chapter of growth and operational excellence.”

Overture leaders credited Gilley with leading the firm to significant growth during her tenure in the C-Suite.

“We are deeply grateful for Jo’s leadership and the foundation she has built,” said Mike Meekins, CEO of Westbridge Capital Ltd., a private equity firm that is Overture’s parent company. 

An original investor in Overture Promotions, Gilley became CEO of the distributorship in 2017, a year in which the firm generated a reported $47.5 million in promo revenue. Gilley spearheaded exponential growth in the years that followed: Overture reported promo revenue of $126.2 million for 2024 and, based on its 2023 revenue tally, ranked 23 on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry. The new list comes out later this month.

Under Gilley, Overture keyed in on sustainability initiatives, expanded internationally with its first-ever acquisition in Europe and earlier this year purchased Eco Promotional Products (EPP, asi/185797).

New Leader

Shah started at Overture in 2010 as director of e-commerce, before rising two years later to vice president of e-commerce and marketing and later the EVP position.

He’d already experienced considerable success in his young career before joining Overture. That includes engaging in a high-profile and successful entrepreneurial adventure many spend a lifetime pursuing while he was still in his early 20s.

Nominated for BusinessWeek’s Top 25 Under 25, Shah was featured in esteemed media outlets that ranged from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Times. The accolades were the result of a groundbreaking web venture Shah co-founded – WeRemember. The online database stored important information about the location of individuals’ insurance policies, bank accounts, investments and safe deposits, providing peace of mind that people’s beneficiaries would be able to collect. The site garnered widespread interest, and eventually Shah and his partner sold the technology to a large insurance company.

“(Tej) brings a strong cross-functional background, sales expertise and a clear vision for the company’s next chapter,” Overture Promotions said in a statement. Added Meekins: “Tej is uniquely qualified to lead Overture into the future, with his strategic mindset, operational rigor and unwavering focus on delivering value to customers.”