Chefs Johanna Gottlieb and Kate Plummer talk to Paul Bellantone and Robert "Bob" McLean about the transition in a virtual environment, Paul's future philanthropic goals, what we have learned in the pandemic and what we can expect from the association going forward.

Robert “Bob McLean, CPA, CAE, CEM

Robert (Bob) McLean, CPA, CAE, CEM is the interim president of the Promotional Products Association International, a not-for-profit trade association serving almost 15,000 member companies within the promotional products industry.  He was hired in June 2008 as its chief financial officer and was promoted to EVP in October 2011.  Recently Bob has been appointed at the interim president and now leads the association working closely with its Board of Directors.

Prior to joining the association, Bob worked in the for-profit world, with small start-up companies and large global enterprises, including both private and public companies.  He started his career working with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Miami. 

Bob has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Drexel University in Philadelphia and a Master’s in Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Miami, Florida.  He is a member of the American Institute of CPA’s, the Texas Society of CPAs, the American Society of Association Executives and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, of which Bob now serves as the chairperson of its board of directors.

Paul Bellantone, CAE, MBA

Paul Bellantone became president and chief executive officer of PPAI in 2011. During his tenure he has made bold changes to reposition PPAI and the industry for the future, investing in strategic foresight, technology and infrastructure. Under Paul’s leadership, the Association has grown to be the world’s largest not-for-profit trade association, serving the more than 16,000 corporate members employing half-a-million professionals in the $24-plus billion-dollar industry.

Bellantone is a certified association executive and a distinguished leader in the promotional products, event and exhibition and association industries and has served on the not-for-profit boards of the Texas Society of Association Executives, Incentive Research Foundation and is currently the chair of the Small Business Legislative Council. He holds an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and an MBA from Texas Woman’s University.