Our Team
Our Team
Merchology was founded in late 2013 with the principle of providing the highest quality custom decoration in the industry on apparel and gifts brands that customers know and love. Just as important, it was a founding principle that ordering corporate gear should be an easy and transparent process, which is why Merchology offers a seamless e-commerce ordering experience. Making this vision come true is reliant on hiring and training fantastic people. Since our inception, we've grown into a team of 100+ employees who proudly offer unparalleled customer service and collectively create a vibrant and enthusiastic company culture. Merchology is family owned and operated and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Our Management Team
Richard Ward, CEO & Co-Founder
Dick is the co-founder and CEO of Merchology. He has over 30 years of experience in the corporate promotional products and incentive industries. Dick formerly was the managing partner of LA Loving, LightHouse Brands and previously was the CEO of River’s End Trading Company. Dick received his B.S.B. from the University of Minnesota.
Ally Delgado, Chief Marketing Officer & Co-Founder
Ally is responsible for establishing the marketing and merchandising strategy for Merchology. Prior to Merchology, Ally was an Associate Marketing Manager for General Mills, with innovation and P&L responsibility for the Nature Valley, Fiber One, and Helper brands. She started her career as a Strategy Consultant for Deloitte Consulting, serving Fortune 500 retail and consumer packaged goods clients. Ally received her B.S.B. from the University of Minnesota and her MBA from Harvard Business School.
Andrew Ward, Chief Revenue Officer & Co-Founder
As co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Merchology, Andrew oversees Merchology’s growth strategy including sales channel management, brand partnerships, key account management, and customer service. Prior to Merchology, Andrew spent a decade as a partner of SpaceNet Equities, a Minneapolis-based commercial real estate brokerage firm. Andrew received his B.A. in Business Management from St. John’s University.
Rob Bros, Vice President Operations
Rob is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operational execution at Merchology to attain exceptional results and assure customer satisfaction. He has over 20 years of diverse operations product and process experience, expertise in continuous improvement, and leadership of strategic acquisition, integration, and expansion activities to support healthy growth. Rob graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a B.A. in Business Administration and is Lean Master Certified.
Mark Cherrey, Vice President Finance
Mark is responsible for overseeing the financial operations at Merchology. He has over 15 years of finance and accounting experience. Prior to joining Merchology, Mark worked for two publicly traded companies serving in the Director of Finance and Interim Principal Financial Officer roles at Insignia Systems and as Controller at Digi International. Mark received his B.B.A in Accounting and Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has attained the CPA certificate.
Emily Sulzer, Human Resources Manager
Emily is responsible the Human Resource function for Merchology which encompasses recruiting, benefits, performance management, compliance and more. Emily has over 10 years of experience in Human Resources working for companies large and small in a variety of industries. Emily graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Human Resource Development.
Gabi Hennen, Customer Service Manager
Gabi is responsible for overseeing Merchology’s customer service team to ensure all customers receive the best customer experience in the industry. Before Merchology, Gabi had over 5 years of retail management experience with various companies. Gabi graduated from Concordia College with a B.S. degree in Business Management.
Our Team Events and Outings
There's no better way to get closer as a team than with awesome company parties and group outings. That's why we take every opportunity to get together for company parties, volunteer events, team building activities, and more. Here's a look at some of our favorite recurring company events.
Company Parties
One of our core values as a company is to celebrate and share our successes and we've found that the best way to do that is by throwing some amazing company parties. We routinely host celebrations for milestones and holidays at the office, but our two biggest bashes are our annual holiday party and summer boat party.
Merchology Summer Boat Party 2019 on Lake Minnetonka
Internal Social Events
We are always looking for a reason to have a team event both inside and outside of the office. Some events that we've hosted in the past year include golf outings, monthly summer barbeques, frequent potlucks, and Friday wine tastings. We even celebrate all of those made up holidays like National Taco Day and National Mojito Day!
Merchology Summer Golf Outing 2019
Giveback Events
We also have a great giveback team focused on making a difference in our community and beyond. Our giveback team is constantly looking for ways to help the environment and those in need through donation drives, volunteer events, sponsored social events and more. A few organizations that we've worked with in the past include Feed My Starving Children, The Mississippi Park Connection, Fill the Backpack, and Toys for Tots!
Toys for Tots Toy Drive 2018
Get to Know Us
We've introduced ourselves, and now it's your turn! Contact one of our dedicated Merchologists if you have any questions about starting an order. Otherwise, visit our About Us section to learn more about how we make merch magic!