An employee at Derse has been promoted from president to president and CEO.
Former CEO Bill Haney, who held the position since 1989, will retain a leadership role at the company as Chairman. Adam Beckett is Derse’s third CEO since its founding in 1948.
Beckett will also join Haney and Bill McNamara (former vice president and secretary, now vice chairman) as a Derse owner. Haney has been with Derse for 36 years, and McNamara has been with the company for 31 years.
“This is a plan that was years in the making,” said Haney. “We believe in planning for the future, and there was nobody else in the industry better suited to lead the company than Adam. His ability to not only recognize evolution in the face-to-face marketing industry, but to drive those changes, is second to none. He’s committed to this company, and we’ve committed to him.”
Beckett has been with Derse since 1995 and is a graduate of Rutgers University.
“Derse differentiates itself by bringing true accountability to face-to-face marketing,” said Beckett. “We work with clients to develop the right strategy, determine a creative plan to engage their target audience, and then measure against objectives. Creative solutions must be purposeful and ultimately must drive sales for our clients.”
Derse’s shift in leadership also presented the opportunity for a number of other internal promotions: Jim Elser, chief operating officer; Dan Serebin, chief financial officer; Heather Rosenow, vice president client strategic services; Eric Preston, vice president sales and marketing; Dave Giordano, director of marketing; Sheri Thomka, vice president human resources; Heidi Schaal, human resources manager.
“Our promotions were 100 percent internal, which speaks to the culture of growth and opportunity Derse believes in,” said McNamara. “We emphasize building long-term relationships with our employees, because they make our company great. When we look for leaders, we often find the best ones are already part of our team.”
