Ted A. Vlamis
President and Chairman of the Board, Pioneer Balloon Company
Ted A. Vlamis describes his position as the head “philosopher,” whose job it is to nurture Pioneer’s direction as well as guide the overall company’s strategy and growth. Consolidated American Industries, Inc., which developed and marketed Swiss Chalet Salad Dressing and Salad Crispins, brought Ted and his family to Wichita in 1971. Prior to then Ted held a number of management positions with General Mills, including overall responsibility for GMI’s largest consumer food products plant. Ted is a graduate of Yale University and received his MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, Executive Program.
Betty Vlamis
Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of the Board, Pioneer Balloon Company
Betty shares responsibility for overall company direction and growth. She is on the Board of Directors and is a member of the Executive Operating Committee. She has executive responsibility for the Creative Strategies group and in very involved in marketing and new product development. Prior to entering the business field in 1971, Betty was involved in numerous voluntary organizations and was a medical technologist. She and Ted have worked together as business partners for more than 45 years. They have three sons, two of whom hold management positions in Pioneer, and four grandchildren. Betty has an Associate of Arts degree from Harcum College.
Daniel A. Flynn
Chief Executive Officer, Pioneer Balloon Company
Dan Flynn joined Pioneer Balloon in 1982 and has held a variety of positions in the marketing, communications and operations before becoming Chief Operating Officer in 1996. As CEO, he is responsible for the day-to-day activities and direction of the company, and serves as chairperson of the Executive Operating Committee. Dan has been very active in the balloon industry throughout the world. A founder of The Balloon Council, an industry-wide trade information organization, he has served as chairman of that organization since its inception in 1990. He has testified before a Senate panel on toy safety and appeared nationally on ABC News. In addition, Dan has been quoted as an industry spokesperson in numerous newspapers and articles. He graduated with honors from Grinnell College in 1981, with a B.A. in American Studies.
Ted J. Vlamis
Vice President, International Initiatives & Sustainability Officer, Pioneer Balloon Company
Ted J. Vlamis joined Pioneer Balloon Company in 1981, working as a Sales Representative covering sev-eral Midwestern states. In the mid-80’s he began handling Pioneer’s international business, and as Pioneer’s international business expanded, he began devoting his concentration on this part of the company’s business. As Vice President, Ted is responsible for overseeing Pioneer’s facilities in Hamilton, ON, Canada, Puebla, Pue., Mexico, Acatlán de Juarez, Jal., Mexico, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts., UK, Sydney, N.S.W. Australia, and Jundiai, SP, Brazil. Through these facilities and third party distributors, Pioneer’s balloons are sold in more than 100 countries.
Randy Smith
Director of Marketing, Pioneer Balloon Company
Randy Smith has been the Director of Marketing since he joined Pioneer in 2014 and oversees the marketing team, consisting of Product Development, Marketing Communications, and Market Strategies. Randy is a graduate of the University of Missouri – St. Louis and has 30 years of brand management experience, which includes Hallmark Cards and Nestlē among others. His favorite thing about working at Pioneer is the people and the passion they have for balloons. “I’ve heard it said that ‘balloons can get in your blood,’ and that is clearly true of the entire Pioneer organization.”
Marie Gransbury
Managing Director, Pioneer Europe Limited
Marie Gransbury has been the Managing Director for Pioneer Europe since 2012. In addition to her day-to-day focus of streamlining operations, enhancing profitability, and increasing sales, Marie oversees the strategic development of the balloon and party markets in more than 35 different countries. Her introduction to the world of balloons began in 1983 when she started working for Fairlaine UK, a company that manufactured foil balloons. Marie considers herself a proud member of the “Pioneer family” and enjoys developing new concepts to help shape the future of the balloon and party industry across the globe.
Itamar Silva
Managing Director, Pioneer Balloon Brasil Ltda.
Itamar has been with Pioneer since February 2000, beginning his career in the sales division for Latin America at the US corporate headquarters. With increasing responsibility, Itamar transferred to Mexico and led the expansion of of sales in Mexico and throughout Latin America. In 2014, Itamar was appointed to establish a new Pioneer Affiliate in his home country, Brazil. He is currently responsible for leading the local team dealing with all aspects of the business including marketing, logistics, training, sales and new business developments.
Itamar graduated with a masters in Organizational Development and Behavior and speaks multiple languages including French, Spanish, Portuguese and English.
“I like that Pioneer allows a real freedom to develop and execute programs which is only possible for companies that are a north star in the market"
Bruce Fraser
Managing Director, Pioneer Balloon Australia
As someone who oversees the national distribution for Pioneer in Australia and New Zealand, Bruce is very familiar with the world of sales and management. His experiences as a Operations Manager for Second Cup Coffee Co., a National Canadian specialty coffee retailer, as well as a Restaurant and Special Events Manager for McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada have served him well in his current role. Bruce’s career at Pioneer spans 30 years, beginning in Canada and then transferring to Australia in 1996. During this time he has served as former National President of BASA A (Balloon Artists and Suppliers Association of Australia).