Orgill, the world’s largest independent hardlines distributor, has hired Scott Wakeman as its new Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Wakeman will spearhead marketing, branding and communication efforts for the $3.8 billion company as well as guide and support similar retail service programs for Orgill’s customer base.

Wakeman joined Orgill on November 2 and brings a unique breadth of experience to the distributor. Most recently, he worked as Vice President, Brand Strategy for Inspire Brands, where he led turnaround efforts for Inspire’s chain of Sonic drive-in restaurant locations, the second-largest brand in the company’s portfolio.

Prior to his tenure at Inspire, Wakeman started his career in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) channel serving in leadership roles for Colgate Palmolive and L’Oreal Cosmetics. After spending time in an executive role with Grey Worldwide, a highly-respected marketing/advertising agency, Wakeman  also led marketing and branding efforts for Bacardi and the Houston Astros.

“We are very excited to add Scott to our executive team,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill president and CEO. “His unique experience throughout his career has included brand building, marketing, and event planning for CPG companies, agencies, and consumer-facing retail including a host of well-known brands. This wealth of experience makes him perfectly suited to drive Orgill’s strategies with our growing private label brands, internal marketing and communications, the marketing services we provide to the thousands of independent retailers we serve, and the world-class events we execute for our customers.”

In his new role, Wakeman will oversee Orgill’s marketing and communications organization, which continues to evolve and grow to meet the needs of the company and its customers.

“Orgill has a long history of helping independent retailers compete and succeed, and I’m excited to contribute to that legacy,” Wakeman says. “I look forward to working with the entire Orgill team to bring greater alignment to our branding and marketing while expanding and enhancing a centralized marketing services platform that can grow with our customers’ needs and help them strengthen their businesses.”

About Orgill:

Established in 1847 and headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee, Orgill is the world’s largest independently owned hardlines distributor with annual sales exceeding $3.8 billion. Orgill provides products and services to over 13,500 retail locations throughout the US covering all fifty states, all Canadian provinces and territories, as well as over 50 additional countries. Orgill serves a diverse range of businesses, including hardware stores, home centers, professional lumber dealers, and farm stores. For additional information, please visit www.orgill.com.