Sam Errigo is a walking, talking example that energy drinks and supplements are not for everyone. The executive vice president of sales and business development for Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. rolls out of bed, sufficiently juiced, ready to tackle the challenges of the day. The man is wired with boundless enthusiasm…one automatically has to harbor some hidden disdain for such a personality, along with a grudging degree of admiration.
Sam Errigo, Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA
It’s OK to be jealous of Errigo, but he learned long ago that it is a passion for your work that will sustain you and make every day a challenge to face, not a task to endure.
“You have to love what you do and have a passion for it,” Errigo maintained. “If you don’t like what you do, go find something else, another job. Life is too short to be doing something you don’t love. Over my 30-year career, I’ve never had a bad day. I wake up energized and enjoy going to work. We are here to win; coming in No. 2 in this industry offers no rewards.”
The positive attitude alone would have earned Errigo a spot among the 2017 Difference Makers, but it goes well beyond his healthy spirit and outlook on life. A 1989 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Errigo was recruited out of school by Kodak. He spent the first four years in sales and quickly developed a deep affinity for technology and its ability to enable workflows and create better customer experiences.
That zest for technology has continued with Konica Minolta, but that sales background has enabled him to go out on sales calls and get to the heart of the customers’ key issues. “I want to stay close to the customer to understand what their key business drivers are and what they are striving to achieve, and most passionate about. Helping customers solve those issues is by far the most rewarding thing you can do as a sales professional.”
Errigo has enjoyed the influence of several mentors during his 28 years in the industry, including Konica Minolta President and CEO Rick Taylor. He credits Taylor with giving him broader insight into the dealer channel after many years on the direct side of the business.
“Rick is an unbelievable leader and mentor,” Errigo noted. “He’s been instrumental in sharing his knowledge on doing the right things and investing in the dealer channel to move beyond a buy/sell relationship. When you build that relationship, you need to invest time every day. Rick leads by example and this has helped shape me as a manager.”
Errigo completely buys into the team concept being fostered at Konica Minolta, building a culture—programmed into the collective DNA—where everyone wins as opposed to individual glory. It is that philosophy that will enable Konica Minolta to build on its transformation strategy, which is geared toward the Workplace of the Future. That will certainly keep Errigo on his toes…not that he needs the encouragement.
“We have to think differently as leaders of the company,” he said. When things are going well, you tend to be complacent. We become paranoid. We have to continually challenge ourselves as a leadership team and not accept the status quo. It’s important to accelerate what we’re doing related to our business transformation while growing profitable market share. Due to our transformation strategy, a clear separation in the existing competitive landscape is realistic and will position us for long-term growth.”
Sam and Tara Errigo have four children, all boys. Nick, 26, and Devon, 24, both work for Konica Minolta. Jordan, 21, and Tyler, 8, round out the brood. Whenever the Errigos do an activity, it is certain to be an outdoor adventure. Sam Errigo loves hiking, fishing and hunting, as well as taking in sporting events.
