Panini Blog Panini America Adds Collectibles Industry Veteran D.J. Kazmierczak as VP of Sales

Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, announced today that it has hired collectibles industry veteran D.J. Kazmierczak as its Vice President of Sales. Kazmierczak will oversee the company’s U.S. sales operations and will report to Panini America CEO Mark Warsop.
Kazmierczak, a native of North Carolina, entered the sports collectibles industry in 1994 with Fleer Trading Cards, working on that company’s product development team. In 2002, Kazmierczak became that company’s Vice President of Hobby Sales. After leaving the industry for a few years to pursue his MBA from North Carolina’s Strayer University, Kazmierczak returned in 2005, joining Press Pass as Director of Retail Sales. From 2008-2011, Kazmierczak served as the company’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
“I’m truly excited to join the Panini America team and to help the company continue to strengthen its position as the unquestionable industry leader,” Kazmierczak said. “This represents a tremendous opportunity for me and I’m ready to hit the ground running.”
“The addition of D.J. to our management team only makes us stronger and we’re proud to welcome him into the Panini America family,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “He brings a track record of success, and a wealth of experience and contacts that will serve our team well as we continue to grow. We’re excited.”
Panini America is the only company in the world that manufactures licensed trading cards and stickers for the NBA, NFL, NFL PLAYERS, NHL, NHLPA, MLBPA and FIFA World Cup. The company also has exclusive relationships with USA Baseball, USA Basketball and the U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team. In addition Panini also has relationships with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and owns exclusive entertainment licenses with Disney, Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson, and more than 600 global licenses with other sports and entertainment properties.

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