LEADERSHIP

Eve Kolakowski

CEO & President

As CEO and President of Rymax, the premium and incentive industry’s leader in loyalty marketing, Eve Kolakowski’s responsibilities include spearheading all strategic planning, as well as developing company growth strategies and brand partnerships. Since joining the company over 20 years ago, she has fostered relationships with hundreds of best-in-class brands to offer customers thousands of reward options across various product categories, ranging from designer fashion and luxury accessories to home essentials and technology — including Apple, Bose, Tumi, Marc Jacobs, Samsonite, Coach, Cuisinart, and Montblanc.

In 2019, Eve purchased Rymax from the founder before getting it nationally certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) and a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Additionally, she oversees the company’s bicoastal fulfillment partner, Brainstorm Logistics, and has worked tirelessly to broaden the company’s technology capabilities, delivering one of the industry’s most sophisticated reward and recognition platforms.

At her core, Eve is passionate about trending merchandise and luxury goods. In addition to building Rymax as an industry pioneer, leader, and innovator, she also co-founded Pai-Shau (translated as “passion for life”), a luxury line of tea-infused haircare products. As a serial entrepreneur for numerous companies all centered around aspirational products, Eve offers expertise not only on the products themselves, but also in identifying rising trends, maximizing distribution channels, and boosting brands’ bottom lines. A sought-after industry influencer, she is a former contributor to Forbes Business Council, an invitation-only organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.

FINANCE

Rita Goldburd

Senior Vice President of Accounting

With a career spanning more than 30 years in accounting, financial reporting, forecasting, deal analysis, treasury services, and bank relations, Rita Goldburd is the Senior Vice President of Accounting at Rymax. Since joining the company in 2002 as part of its leadership team, she has held executive responsibility for its overall financial strategy, reporting, and operational oversight.

In addition to her leadership role, Rita has spearheaded key strategic initiatives that support cost reduction, capital and funding strategies, and business growth. She has been instrumental in creating departmental policies and procedures, facilitating corporate restructuring, and ensuring a solid foundation for a streamlined accounting department. Additionally, Rita manages onboarding for acquisitions and plays a crucial role in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process.

Before her tenure at Rymax, Rita served as Chief Financial Officer at IPS, Integrated Planning Systems, a prominent provider of integrated business solutions (enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and business intelligence), as well as  information technology services from Macola, Microsoft, Oracle NetSuite, and Salesforce. Prior to that, she served as Chief Financial Officer at Schratter Foods, the U.S. specialty-food division of the France-based Groupe Bongrain, now known as Savencia Fromage & Dairy. Earlier in her career, Rita served as CFO at Hifonics, a global consumer-electronics company. She earned an M.S. degree in finance and accounting from Odesa University, one of Ukraine’s oldest and most prestigious schools.

HUMAN RESOURCES & GENERAL COUNSEL

Daniel Tabs

Executive Vice President & General Counsel

Daniel Tabs is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Rymax and its related family of entities.  Dan plays a critical role in the Company’s strategic planning and growth initiatives while also overseeing the Company’s legal and compliance matters. In his role, Dan spearheads and manages Rymax’s corporate governance, risk and legal best practices, corporate acquisitions, commercial transactions, and governmental and administrative licensing issues.

Previously, Dan was a partner with Florio Perrucci Steinhardt, heading the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice, while also focusing on his corporate law practice. Before that, he worked at Grotta Glassman & Hoffman, which merged to become Fox Rothschild, a prominent nationwide law firm.

Dan earned his Juris Doctor from American University’s Washington College of Law, summa cum laude, where he served as a special projects’ editor of The Administrative Law Journal of the WCL. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan, where he majored in Political Science and a minor in Economics.

Dan has served on several community non-profit boards, including the Mental Health Center of Passaic, Board of Directors; JCC Metrowest, Board of Directors; and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Personnel Committee.

SALES

Paul Gordon

Senior Vice President of Sales

With a career spanning over 30 years, Paul Gordon is Senior Vice President of Sales for Rymax, the premium and incentive industry’s leader in loyalty marketing. The company is also the leader in employee-recognition programs created to develop employee achievement of company goals, peer-to-peer recognition, and training.

Since 2008, under Paul’s leadership, Rymax’s sales divisions have pioneered innovative loyalty-rewards programs designed to initiate consumer trials, boost frequency, and achieve higher returns. Paul has overseen the expansion of the sales divisions’ accounts, cultivating new client relationships, driving organic growth for existing clients, and aligning Rymax’s national brand partners with exclusive incentive programs. Notably, he created the highly successful R-SITE program (Rymax Strategic Interactive Themed Events), which has been implemented across various industries, including telecommunications, automotive, finance, and pharmaceuticals.

Paul is an industry expert who has appeared on Bloomberg Television and FOX Business, and has been featured in USA Today and the Forbes Business Development Council, for which he is a contributor. He was previously named one of the “25 People to Watch” by Global Gaming Business magazine, which focuses on the casino industry, and one of the “25 Most Influential People” by Incentive Magazine. As a sought-after thought leader, Paul regularly speaks at trade shows, conventions, roundtables, and universities across the country. He is also a contributor to Forbes Business Development Council, an invitation-only community for senior-level sales and business development executives.

Earlier in his career, Paul served as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Konica Minolta Imaging, where he worked for nearly 20 years. He holds a BA degree in political science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.