Blush, a sexual wellness brand, has announced a strategic leadership realignment with three executive appointments aimed at accelerating growth across retail, branding, and financial operations. Staci Cruse will now lead the U.S. sales division, Joel Castillo will oversee marketing operations, and Monica Banarsi joins the organization to direct financial strategy and performance.

Staci Cruse to Lead U.S. Sales

Staci Cruse has been promoted to lead Blush’s U.S. sales team. This appointment follows a career spanning 15 years in the pleasure industry, where she gained experience in retail sales, purchasing, and regional management. Her background includes working on the retail floor in sales, as a buyer, and as a store manager. She then transitioned to the manufacturer side, progressing from brand ambassador to regional sales manager within the lubricant category, before moving to the toy side two years ago when she joined Blush.

Cruse’s experience includes managing tight margins and observing manufacturers' practices regarding partnership and support. She emphasizes the importance of retailer support, stating that her understanding comes from direct experience in retail. Her career evolution has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the retail ecosystem.

Before her career in adult retail, Cruse worked as a part-time hairstylist in Nashville. After a horse-riding accident, she sought a new career and found her people skills were beneficial in interacting with adult store customers. She later earned a certification as a sex educator, which deepened her understanding of how pleasure products can support overall well-being. This certification also influences her approach to product knowledge, focusing on connecting store teams with customers by framing education beyond features and price points.

Cruse’s priority in her new role is to ensure her team has the necessary tools, support, and resources to perform effectively. She aims for her sales team to be knowledgeable, confident, and passionate, which involves investing in training, establishing clear processes and accountability, and providing support to enable them to be a resource for their accounts.

She holds clear expectations for manufacturer-retailer relationships, advocating for partnerships built on fairness, responsiveness, and respect for brick-and-mortar stores. Cruse highlights the importance of enforcing MAP pricing policies across all channels, including a manufacturer’s own website and marketplace listings, to protect retailer relationships. She believes manufacturers should treat retailers as long-term partners, value their feedback, respect their customer base, and remain engaged beyond new product launches.

Cruse also observes opportunities in the evolving pleasure products category, noting the increasing openness in discussions about sexual wellness. She believes this shift allows retailers to strengthen their role as trusted guides. She is encouraged by the growing emphasis on inclusivity in product design and marketing, which she sees as creating more welcoming and informed shopping experiences. Cruse states that increased access to information and normalization is leading to a more educated, intentional, and loyal customer base.

Her career has been influenced by communities supporting women in the pleasure industry. As she takes on this new leadership role, she aims to set an example for other women in sales, retail leadership, or sexual wellness education. Cruse emphasizes the importance of trusting one's intuition and power, and surrounding oneself with a supportive community. Being part of a woman-owned company focused on sexual wellness is meaningful to her, and she seeks to reflect this purpose in her team's approach, aiming to make a difference for stores, associates, and customers.

Executive Team Realignment

The executive restructuring at Blush, announced on May 8, 2026, by Andy Powell, Senior Correspondent for B2B Pleasure Products News, and on May 7, 2026, by Joanne Cachapero for AVN, comes as the global sexual wellness category expands into mainstream retail channels. This expansion increases the demand for experienced leadership capable of scaling distribution and brand equity. The realignment follows the departure of former Senior Director of Sales Operations JoAnn DeTurris.

Blush CEO and co-founder Verna Meng stated that the restructuring around sales, marketing, and finance ensures the brand’s infrastructure is optimized for scaling. Meng noted that sexual wellness is now considered a staple of everyday health and lifestyle. To meet this mainstream demand, Blush is accelerating product development to focus on consumer needs, while maintaining education as a foundation for connecting with its audience. The leadership team is being aligned to execute this consumer-first vision.

New Appointments in Marketing and Finance

In addition to Cruse’s promotion, Joel Castillo has been appointed to spearhead marketing operations. Castillo is tasked with elevating Blush into a mainstream wellness brand and brings experience from premium and luxury consumer brands, including work with Hennessy and Pernod Ricard. His focus will be on expanding the company’s mainstream wellness positioning and strengthening overall brand visibility.

Monica Banarsi joins Blush to head financial operations. Banarsi brings over 20 years of accounting and finance experience, having previously held leadership roles at David Peyser Sportswear, Alcott HR Group, and Travers Tool Company.

Key Facts

  • Staci Cruse has been promoted to lead Blush’s U.S. sales division.
  • Cruse has 15 years of experience in the pleasure industry, including retail sales, buying, management, and regional sales leadership.
  • She is a certified sex educator.
  • Joel Castillo has been appointed to oversee marketing operations.
  • Monica Banarsi has joined Blush to direct financial strategy and performance.
  • The executive restructuring was announced on May 7 and 8, 2026.