Experienced e-commerce executive joins Custom Ink as CEO

Custom Ink — an online source for clothing and “other gadgets” that businesses and social organizations can personalize with printed designs — has refocused on its digital roots in the years since the pandemic.

Last December, the company launched Swag.Space as a white-label platform that allows promotional products distributors to create online product catalogs and manage production, inventory, orders, distribution and warehousing. Swag.Space is powered by technology and infrastructure developed by Swag.com, an e-commerce platform for custom products that Custom Ink acquired in 2021. Through integration with Shopify’s e-commerce platform, Swag.Space enables distributor customers to offer their customers “the ability to launch branded stores.”

David Doctorow, recently appointed CEO of Custom Ink.

Now the personalized promotional items company is looking to take its digital strategy to the next level by hiring a new CEO with extensive experience in e-commerce growth.

The company has named David Doctorow, who most recently served as CEO of real estate firm Realtor.com, as its top executive, replacing co-founder and CEO Marc Katz, who will remain chairman of the board. Doctorow will take the helm and join the board next month.

Marc Kattz, CEO of Custom Ink

“It’s been an incredible 25 years of leading Custom Ink and working with such great people,” Katz said in a statement announcing Doctorow’s appointment. “We’ve made significant changes since the pandemic to refocus on our digital roots, and now it’s time for a new CEO to lead us to new heights. David is a proven leader with an impressive track record of building digital businesses.”

At Realtor.com, Doctorow served as CEO from 2020 to 2023, “leading the company to record revenue, profit, and customer satisfaction,” Custom Ink says in a statement. It also notes that before Realtor, Doctorow led growth in eBay’s customer acquisition and retention efforts as head of global growth, and as head of marketing and strategy for online travel services company Expedia, he “helped double” sales and profits.

At Custom Ink, Doctorow says he sees “tremendous potential for continued growth” as the personalized products company continues to expand its digital offerings.

Custom Ink receives financial backing from Great Hill Partners, a major equity investor.

Paul Demery is a contributing editor at Digital Commerce 360, covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. [email protected].

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