Sullivans taps former Precious Moments exec for CEO spot

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.— Sullivans Brands has a new president and CEO.

John Lanman, the former president and CEO of Precious Moments, joins the gift and home décor company on Nov. 27 with what Sullivans called “an impressive track record of driving growth, enhancing strategic vision and leading companies to new levels of success and shareholder value creation.”

Tom Russo previously served as CEO, a role he held for seven years. According to this LinkedIn profile, Russo is now president and CEO of Plaid Enterprises, a DIY art and craft supplies company.

Lanman was most recently president of air conditioning company Perfect Aire, but before that he was president and CEO of Precious Moments from 2019-2022, according to his LinkedIn profile, and helped transition the brand from a traditional wholesale model to a dynamic direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform, according to Sullivans.

Earlier in his career, he served as vice president and general manager of Oriental Trading Company and was vice president and general manager at home fragrance company Blyth Inc.

“His leadership at Oriental Trading Company and The Bradford Group’s wholesale gift division is marked by innovative strategies that broadened their market reach and enhanced brand visibility,” Sullivans said in a release.

“John is an exemplary leader, equipped with the foresight and expertise to amplify business growth and drive value creation,” said Ira Moreland, chairman of the board of directors for Sullivans Brands and managing director of ICV Partners, which acquired Sullivan’s in 2022. “His leadership is poised to propel Sullivans into its next chapter of innovation and market leadership in the home décor and gift industry.”

Sullivans made several strategic changes to its leadership team earlier this year, including naming a new director of national accounts, a senior vice president of sales, a vice president of marketing, a vice president of operations and a chief financial officer.