#4 Jonathan Isaacson

Gemline (asi/56070) – Chairman/CEO

2021 Rank: #2

Industry Experience: 34 years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 16

When he’s not busy leading promo’s 10^th largest supplier to impressive growth, Isaacson is organizing thought-provoking, well-attended webinars for industry audiences on everything from COVID-19 to challenging supply chains to the war in Ukraine. Indeed, earlier this year he worked his impressive network of international contacts to feature Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in a webinar for promo.

Isaacson has also ensured that Gemline is at the forefront of important developments in the industry. These include partnering with sought-after retail brands, generous corporate charitable giving, and operating in a more sustainable manner that’s better for the environment. On the latter: Gemline this year launched a solar power generation system to provide for part of the firm’s electricity needs at its Lawrence, MA headquarters.

Counselor’s 2021 Person of the Year, Isaacson’s prominence soared during the most challenging days of COVID, due to the role he played as a community leader and an industry educator on business and health issues stemming from the pandemic. As COVID continues to recede, Isaacson hasn’t been required to play such an outsized role for an industry in turmoil, which contributes to his two-spot slide on this year’s list. Still, Isaacson’s influence in promo remains vast and his reputation as a forward-thinking thought-leader assured.