Upon graduating college, Jim Joyce was intrigued by what proved to be the onset of the information technology era. Sure, personal computers were years away from becoming mainstream, and the internet was just a glimmer in Al Gore’s eyes. But Joyce could spot a volcano that was about to erupt.
Jim Joyce
Vice President MPS/Innovation, U.S. Channels Unit
Xerox Corp.
“IT was in its infancy when I graduated, but it was clearly an emerging dynamic that would change our lives,” Joyce noted. “I wanted to be right in the middle of that journey, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”
This 2018 ENX Magazine Difference Maker gets bonus points for being prescient, and his journey through technology has been an amazing excursion that has echoed the changing path of IT. In his 37 years, Joyce has plied his craft with such luminaries as Datapoint, Wang and—for the last 20 years—Xerox. He’s also worked on the reseller side, where he became president of a large reseller/consultancy that went public before it was acquired by Xerox in 1998.
MPS Pioneer
From 1998 until 2012, Joyce led Xerox’s MPS business and became known as a pioneer in the field. Today, he serves as vice president MPS/Innovation, U.S. Channels Unit for Xerox. Joyce has always had a soft spot for collaborative innovation, which he finds energizing, visionary and rewarding.
“I’ve employed an approach that concentrates on fairness, trust and honesty, coupled with a passion to move from ideation through successful adoption,” Joyce said. “And I have fun doing it.”
In addition to growing his career in tandem with the onset of IT, Joyce has enjoyed many pivotal interactions with executives, peers and leadership teams that have been crucial to his own professional growth. “The common traits that influenced me were passion, honesty, humor and reality—all linked with a clear vision around a goal or a set of goals,” he said. “Those who embodied those qualities have made a major difference in my life and the lives of many others.”
Raising the Bar
Joyce was heartened by 2017 results stemming from the new programs Xerox put in place, and their acceptance by the OEM’s partners enabled it to collectively grow at two times the market. The goal for 2018 is to raise the growth bar at two to three times the market rate, driven by innovative programs and collaboration with Xerox’s partners.
“That’s the beauty of our industry—there is always room for incremental innovation,” Joyce noted. “We have several next-generation software and program elements that will be launched this year that will help us continue to accelerate our progress.”
Jim and his wife, Peggy, started dating when they were 14 years old. They enjoy traveling, having visited nearly every U.S. state, many Canadian provinces, Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Joyces have attended 300-plus concerts over the years, spanning many genres. It is a love that has extended to their daughter, who graduated from college with a degree in music, plays (and teaches) several instruments, and sings with the Cleveland Pops Chorus. The Joyces also have a son who is a diehard Cleveland sports fan (the family supports the Ohio State Buckeyes). Father and son love to attend men’s basketball games at major hoops schools like Duke, Kentucky, Michigan and, of course, OSU.
