The past 18 months have clearly illustrated the need to draw upon inspiration in the face of relentless adversity. For Mark Mathews, the vice president, North America commercial sales and marketing for Epson America, this period has certainly caused him to reflect on a former coworker, who used to conclude his presentations with a slide showing a frog fending off a bird that is trying to convert him into dinner. The caption read “Never give up.”
Fortunately, Mathews has won more than his share of battles during his 30-year journey, chiefly spent with Toshiba America Business Solutions (where he rose to president and CEO) and Epson, where he was tasked with bringing the OEM’s inkjet proposition to the U.S. office market. This 2021 ENX Magazine Difference Maker and dean of the imaging technology space has long been guided by a customer-centric approach to forging long-term relationships, all the while understanding the needs of dealers and end-users to enable their success and profitability.
The key, according to Mathews, is judiciously leveraging resources—time, money and people. “One of the phrases we repeat often is select and focus,” Mathews said. “I believe one of the key elements of high-performing teams is aligning on what’s important for the customer’s success, selecting the key initiatives that support their success and then executing on these initiatives. Do that with your customer in mind and you have a winning formula. While it’s easy to say, it’s hard to do and requires constant energy and attention.”
Mathews’ starting point and his current destination bear little resemblance. An engineering graduate from Columbia University, he became an officer in the Air Force and was assigned to a weapon system development program as a program manager. Mathews followed that up with an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and took a position with a small San Diego firm that created generic font and postscript cartridges for HP LaserJets. That opened the door to becoming a product manager for Toshiba, in charge of guiding the development of the OEM’s first digital copier.
The path to discovering Mathews’ ultimate destination was certainly an adventurous one. “I never did any engineering, but I’ve had a lot more fun, enjoyment and challenges than what I had originally planned to do after college,” he noted.
Global Approach
Mathews loves the challenge of working for a multinational technology company, though he admits it can also be frustrating. He encounters businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to billion-dollar global concerns, and has a hand in every facet of business, from sales, marketing and service to supply chain and operations. Mathews has circled the globe and gained an appreciation for the many similarities that exist among various nationalities as opposed to differences.
“The challenging part of the job is taking technology and products developed halfway around the world and making them successful in your local market. When you do that, it’s really rewarding,” he said.
The rollout of Epson’s inkjet technology in 2019 and 2020 has certainly been an exhaustive, yet rewarding experience for Mathews and the team, which was built from scratch. That entailed a deep dive into every discipline under the start-up to ensure Epson could support the requirements of the office equipment space.
The pandemic added an unwelcome twist; in fact, the company’s Ink Boldly partner conference—a coming-out party of sorts for the inkjet platform—was held one week before the onset of COVID-induced closures. But between the building and the pivoting, “we ended up having a good year,” Mathews observed.
Reverse Pivot
The 2021 campaign marked a return to Epson’s original plan and growing its office MFP business. “We’re unique in that we started from zero and have a vision to be a major player,” he said. “The world’s gone through a lot these last couple of years, and it’s exciting to get back to competing and growing.”
As he moves forward, Mathews’ personal goal is to ensure those around him are successful and support their life journeys.
“I’ve had a wonderful career in this industry, and I’d like to see others have the same joy and benefits I have enjoyed,” he said. “So, when I can help someone achieve their goals, personal or professional, I take great pleasure in that.”
Normally a frequent business flyer, Mathews saw his passport garner dust during the past year and a half. On the plus side, it has provided more time to spend with his wife, Cathy, and their children, walking the dog and enjoying game and movie nights. Mathews has also become a master of Rummikub, a rummy/mahjong hybrid game. In a year that has witnessed his oldest daughter get married and his youngest daughter graduate from college, the many blessings have outweighed the negatives.
“It’s been a wonderful year of focusing on family,” Mathews added.
