John Bruellman, CEO of Showdown Displays, began his leadership journey by receiving his B.S. in Economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point. John honed his leadership skills through several advancements within the U.S. Army, serving as an Armor Officer. Following his time in the Service, John received his M.B.A. from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and began his business career. This has included progressive leadership roles with Nordic Track, Honeywell, Ceridian Corporation and now Showdown Displays. His path includes experience in marketing, manufacturing, process improvement, business strategy, international management, mergers & acquisitions, supply chain processes and general management.

John joined Showdown Displays as its President in 2006. He was promoted to CEO in 2011, upon Showdown’s merger with a “sister company” called Creative Banner. John has led the transformation of the company into a global printing/displays power, with strong presence in North America and Europe. Under his leadership, the company has received many awards, to include placement eight times on the Inc. 5000 list and two-time recognition as “Manufacturer of the Year” in Minnesota. John has been chosen as “Executive of the Year” by Minnesota Business Magazine. He has also been named several times to the Advertising Specialty Institute’s “Power 50” list, which recognizes the most influential people in the promotional products industry. He is most proud that Showdown Displays has been recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work” by several different publications.

John believes that business is a force for good and he ensures that Showdown Displays is very involved in giving back to the community. Individually, he holds many community leadership roles as well. He is a board member at Common Hope, a charity which helps fight poverty through education in Guatemala. He is also active in Junior Achievement, the University of Minnesota Veterans’ Initiative, Washburn Children’s Center, Ridgeview Foundation, and Faith Lutheran Church in Waconia, MN. He is an avid traveler, reader, history buff and sports enthusiast. Above all, John treasures his time with his family, much of which is spent at the place he most loves... his cabin in the Minnesota north woods.

For more than 30 years, our President, Kevin Walsh, has been building, growing and leading teams that delight customers while delivering annual revenues in excess of $500 million. He’s done this with remarkable companies like Wrangler Jeans & Shirts®, Lee® Printwear, Red Kap®, Bulwark®, VF Corp., Montana Silversmiths®, New Buffalo Shirt Factory, ProPlayer®, and more. His commitment to the Showdown Displays® team continues this long string of growth ventures.

Kevin embraces every morning, fully charged and with a big smile on his face because our team knows who we are, what we can do and how we do it. As a result, we have pioneered digital wide format printing and soft signage products to become the recognized leader in North America. Our team implements strategies that Kevin developed at those big brands to connect with and educate our B2B distributor partners. In the process, he’s been instrumental in growing our team, our distributors and our brand.

In addition to his leadership role with Showdown Displays, Kevin is an active Board member of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) servicing on its Executive Committee as well as on the Supplier Advisory Board of the SGIA.

Kevin’s passion for our story and the remarkable success we have demonstrated as a brand and a company is only exceeded by his commitment to being a loving husband and great dad.

Deb Weston holds a M.B.A from the University of Wisconsin and a B.B.A. in Accounting and Management from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has a track record of delivering strategic leadership within rapidly growing companies that quickly need to implement and integrate systems and attract and retain talent. She has 25 years of diverse experience, including progressively responsible management positions, in manufacturing, medical device, distribution and public accounting with public and private companies in the US and Europe.

Deb joined Showdown Displays in 2012 as the corporate controller, and has provided executive leadership in Finance, Accounting, and Human Resources. She was promoted to CFO in 2014 and today Deb has responsibility for Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, and Information Technology. She is also responsible for Global Finance for Showdown Displays Europe.

Deb is active in Financial Executives International and is a sponsor of a child in Guatemala through Common Hope. Deb was recognized as CFO of the Year in 2015 by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. In her spare time, you can find Deb with family and friends on the golf course or up in Northern Minnesota enjoying the lakes.

Paul Kiely has served in senior operations leadership roles in his manufacturing career over the last 20 years with such companies as Berry Plastics, Resource Label, and most recently as Chief Operations Officer at Colorado Timberline. Paul graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts dual major in History and Philosophy. Serving as a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division Paul developed his servant leadership style he employs today. His business career includes extensive experience in manufacturing, process improvement, merger & acquisition integrations, supply chain management, and mass customized printing. Paul joined the Showdown team in December 2018 and enjoys working with the team to provide Legendary service and quality for our customers. He is married, has two children and enjoys the outdoors with his family.

Pam Haugum joined the company in January of 2023 as Vice President and General Manager of Showdown Decor, bringing diverse leadership experience in privately-held family and corporate business environments. Her business foundation was developed at a young age while involved with family-owned businesses in agriculture and retail segments. During this time, Pam was recognized by the south-central Minnesota region Chamber of Commerce as ‘Entrepreneur of the Year.’ During her tenure as Managing Partner of four family businesses, she developed a passion for innovation. This led directly to high-profile corporate roles, leading product development in the print industry. Prior to Showdown, Pam spent the past 13 years in leadership roles at Taylor Corporation. Pam’s focus and expertise is accelerating business development through omni-channel market strategy focusing on eCommerce retail. Her customer-centric philosophy is to build partnerships where our solutions drive and strengthen our customers’ success. A native of Minnesota, Pam was educated at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Pam loves to travel with her husband and always looks forward to spending time visiting her adult children in Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota.