TharpeRobbins’ success depends on highly talented people who thrive in a creative, collaborative, supportive, and fast-paced environment. Our senior leadership includes professionals with strong track records in all aspects of the reward and recognition industry, many of whom have spent their careers at TharpeRobbins.

Brett Tharpe

Brett Tharpe, President and CEO since 2005, is responsible for all aspects of the business including sales, marketing, quality, operations, technology, and administration. Prior roles include Area Manager of Unicon Concrete’s Grand Strand division. Brett received a B.A. in Business Management from North Carolina State University and executive management education from the Young Executives Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler business school.

My favorite recognition moment: “I remember two twin sisters that received their 70 year service award from a textile manufacturer in South Carolina. These ladies started working at the plant when they were 8 years old (obviously before there were any labor laws) and had worked side by side at their work stations the entire time! They had no intentions of retiring, either! They told us they still enjoyed working and that was keeping them healthy!”

Anthony Luciano, Jr.

Anthony Luciano, Jr., Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, oversees the company sales efforts and guides Marketing initiatives to enhance TharpeRobbins’ position in the industry. Anthony’s prior roles include National Sales Director for the Michael C. Fina Company, Corporate Account Director for Nextel Communications, National Account Manager for Lucent Technologies, and various Account Manager roles. Anthony received his M.B.A. from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York. He holds a B.S. in Business Economics from the State University of New York at Oneonta.

My favorite recognition moment: “I always welcome the opportunity to thank those with whom I work. One of my favorite moments was when I recognized Chris, our Director of Creative Services, at his 25 year service award ceremony. Sharing Chris’ contributions with our colleagues and how he inspires all of us to be better professionals was indeed an honor.”

Joel Kepley

Joel Kepley, C.P.A., is responsible for managing and directing the accounting, financial reporting, and treasury and risk management functions of the company. Prior roles include Chief Financial Officer of Beacon Industrial Manufacturing and controller at Pneumafil Corporation. Joel holds an M.B.A. from Queens College and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of North Carolina.

Neal Cao

Neal Cao, Chief Information Officer/Senior Vice President, has a long history with the company. He oversees TharpeRobbins’ in-house IT staff, which is committed to providing simple, innovative technical solutions that make program implementation and administration easier. Neal joined TharpeRobbins from Akibia, Inc. where he was Director of Applications Development. Before that, Neal was the applications and systems architect and the Microsoft technical lead for The Robbins Company. Prior roles include Chief Technology Officer and numerous consulting and programming positions.

John Bradley

John Bradley, COO and General Manager, also has a long history with the company. He is responsible for overall operations, which includes client services at all company locations. Prior to this role, John was the Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Treasurer at The Robbins Company for 18 years. John implemented the first closed-loop environmental system, established the fastest delivery cycle and helped The Robbins Company become the first recognition company to obtain ISO certification. Prior to that, John served as Vice President of Operations for The Michael C. Fina Company. He received his M.B.A. from Northeastern University.

Susan Tolle

Susan Tolle, Senior Vice President of Talent, oversees all human resources functions, including the attraction and selection of employees, learning and development initiatives, and the facilitation of recognition and retention. Her human resources experience spans the technology, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and consumer industries. Prior roles include Senior Vice President for Human Resources at various firms and Human Resources Manager at Apple Computer. Susan received M.A. and B.S. degrees from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She has received numerous honors, including a Pinnacle Award from Apple Computer and a Senior Associate Award from Little & Associates Architects.

My favorite recognition moment: “I have three. The first one was in Charlotte. We had put a lot of time and talk into defining the ‘ultimate’ award. We selected three individuals who were deserving of it in our division of 200+ employees. We called the award ‘The Pinnacle Award’ and gave a beautiful crystal obelisk which was engraved with our division info, name, year. I took care of ordering them, placing them for presentation & speech by the top guy. When we were all finished giving them out, I went to the podium to start the next part of the program and noticed the Director walking up. Turns out I got the Pinnacle too…he had dealt with the vendor, had mine engraved, and had it shipped separately. I was blown away! That was 25 years ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday!”

Pat Rushton

Pat Rushton, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management is responsible for overall quality efforts in delivering our products on time and flawlessly to all award recipients. Pat and his team are also responsible for all initiatives related to improving the supply chain in support of recipient satisfaction and operational excellence. Pat’s previous roles include Vice President of Manufacturing and Distribution, Director of Manufacturing, and Director of Product Integrity. He received his M.B.A. from Pfeiffer University.

Joe Viveiros

Joe Viveiros, Vice President of Manufacturing, has been with the company over 40 years in a variety of roles. Joe is responsible for the manufacturing plants and all manufacturing processes.

My favorite recognition moment: “My favorite recognition moment was when the owner of the company during our recognition awards dinner told the story of an incident of a bomb scare where everyone was asked to leave the building. One of the ladies that worked for me remembered she had brought in a family portrait. So when he was recognizing my years of service, he told the story of how she was more than willing to send me back inside the building to retrieve her family portrait. I was going to try and get it but I was stopped by the security police.”

Cheryl Earnhardt

Cheryl Earnhardt, Vice President of Client Services, has been with the company over 20 years. Cheryl and her team are responsible for account management, account maintenance, our 24/7 live call center, and new account set up/implementation. Their goal is to offer unparalleled service to TharpeRobbins’ customers. “We are an extension of our customer’s HR departments. Our goal is to make their job easier and to make them look good.” She received her degree from Salisbury Business College.

My favorite recognition moment: “My favorite recognition moment is more of a series of experiences. To me, service awards are not just items that collect dust. They represent important events that happened in my life at that time and I always think of my career and my life and how it all intertwines. Recognition from my company gave me encouragement and inspiration which still lives on today as I cherish these awards and special memories.”

Reid Gibson

Reid Gibson, Vice President of Sales Administration, manages a variety of functional areas including client services and sales support. He plays a critical role as a liaison between sales and operations. Reid holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina.

My favorite recognition moment: “My dad worked for Southern Bell for 40 years. He was presented a service award and lapel pin every five years. Upon his retirement, the lapel pins were collected and nicely framed to celebrate his many years of service. After being in the recognition industry for over 15 years, I better appreciate that the mementos are more than just products. They are continual reminders of lifelong memories.”

Video Presenters

Christopher Ludwig

Christopher Ludwig, Director of Creative Services, has been with the company for over 25 years. Chris and his team provide end-to-end creative services for our clients. These services are focused on enhancing the recognition process and include business and marketing planning as well as comprehensive, integrated, innovative program solutions. Chris partners with clients on everything from brand strategy to concept and execution of print and web media to custom award development and packaging. He also spent 15 years teaching at Northeastern University as a senior adjunct faculty member in the graphic arts program. He received a B.F.A. degree from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.

My favorite recognition moment: “Not that long ago, I received my 25 year length of service award, which was presented to me by Anthony Luciano, Jr., our Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. What I remember most was the feeling I had as Anthony spoke of what my time here has meant to him and the company. It is always a wonderful moment when the picture that someone paints of you far exceeds your greatest expectations of who you thought you could be. His heartfelt choice of words continues to motivate and inspire me every day.”

Gail Lunghi

Gail Lunghi, Director of Merchandising, and her team are responsible for ensuring TharpeRobbins has the right product offer with the right mix at the right value – for employers and their recipients. Gail’s team takes a disciplined, research-based approach to merchandising, so that employers understand what recipients are looking for in terms of products, categories, and brands. Another key focus is maintaining strong relationships with existing vendors and developing new ones, both domestically and globally. Prior roles include Director of Product Development and Director of Marketing. She received her M.B.A. in Marketing/CIS from Bryant University and B.S. in Marketing from Rhode Island College.