Executive Perspectives: Dave Klotter of Boundless

As part of Print+Promo Marketing’s ongoing feature, Executive Perspectives, we get to know leading professionals in the print and promotional industry. This month, we interviewed Dave Klotter, CEO of Boundless Network, Austin, Texas. Here, he shares his goal-setting process, opens up about being a forever optimist and explains why our industry needs to sell itself.

Dave Klotter, CEO, Boundless Network

How did you get started in this industry, and what path did you take to land in your current role?

Dave Klotter: I started at a leading apparel supplier in the promotional products industry in 2018. Prior to that, I held various executive roles, including CEO in the packaging, label/print media and consumer products space, mostly with private equity-sponsored businesses. Having started my career in sales and marketing, many of my roles involved promotional-oriented products and a heavy brand marketing component. This made my transition into the promotional products industry a natural one.

How do you set goals for yourself? For your business?

DK: I am very goal-oriented in both my personal and business life. I like to set big goals and an actionable game plan to achieve. Big goals require thoughtful and detailed planning to ensure the right priorities are in place and the hard work gets done. I am an optimist and hold myself and my teams to the highest standards. I like to surround myself with others who share the same standards.

How does the economy continue to affect the industry?

DK: I am very bullish about the future of our industry and, in particular, Boundless. Supply chains and inventories continue to improve, and most of our customers continue to perform well. Our industry showed tremendous resilience during the pandemic, and the most successful businesses in our industry are back on track and growing. Promotional products are an important part of a company’s brand-building and growth strategy. The industry has shown it can continue to innovate and pivot during good times and bad.

What do you expect to be some of the biggest changes or challenges the industry will face?

DK: While I don’t have a crystal ball, I believe one of the biggest challenges in our industry will be recruiting new talent. As an industry, we need to do a much better job promoting ourselves as a fantastic career opportunity. The opportunities are endless and building a strong team of talent is paramount to achieving big goals. I also feel the industry is still behind the times in terms of technology, supply chain management and business systems/processes. Boundless was an early industry adopter of technology and we are reinvesting now to ensure we are best in class.

What keeps you up at night?

DK: I am happy to say that I sleep well at night. I want my teams to sleep well at night. I believe if you develop a great team, strategy and game plan, you control your destiny. This is especially true in areas we can control. Of course, there will always be things that come at us that we can’t control. When this happens, this is where great leadership and strong teams can quickly pivot to develop innovative ideas, launch new products, enter new end markets and create new opportunities.

What do you think is the most exciting, cutting-edge thing your company is doing right now?

DK: We are committed to having the best technology, the best people, the best sales partners and, of course, the best company culture in the industry. On top of that, we will continue to push the boundaries in our industry to differentiate us and set us apart from our competition. This is our heritage and how we will continue to be successful.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

DK: I was a swimmer in college, have run several marathons and have been a big fan of Orangetheory Fitness over the last five years. I also enjoy spending time with my family in Florida at the beach or out on the water.