One of the best things about being 24 years old is having a lack of fear in doing things that might make the 44-year-old version of one’s self take pause. Depending on your perspective, losing the “boldly go” urge could be a good or bad thing, but there’s a universal, romantic admiration for the spirit and spontaneity of youth.
Take Keli Posch, for example. She’d been employed by an IT VAR, Comark, in Illinois when the company was acquired by Insight. The new ownership had big plans for Posch and asked her to move to Tempe, Arizona, to lead a creative services unit with more than 20 team members. At 24, Posch faced the prospect of selling her house, packing up her life and relocating within a four-week span.
“I was the youngest person on the team and tasked with leading a team for a Fortune 1000 company through a massive integration,” said Posch, a 2023 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “I definitely felt like I was way out over my skis, but to be honest, I do my best work when I have a challenge in front of me.”
Massive life changes certainly weren’t foreign to Posch. She studied communications in college with the intention of working in broadcast news, and spent two years as a part-time assistant news producer for WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh. However, graduating from college also coincided with the dot-com boom, and she was recruited by CDW to help design its ecommerce site.
It was certainly an exciting time. “I didn’t even go to my college graduation; it was at a time when everything was moving at warp speed,” she noted. “We worked a crazy amount of hours, but it was so much fun to be in hyper-growth mode.”
Sustainable Excellence
Posch has since dropped out of warp speed, but still remains highly driven as the vice president of marketing and sustainability for Clover Environmental Solutions North America (rebranded from Clover Imaging Group earlier this year). She still finds adventure in new opportunities, crafting strategies and being able to execute ideas to drive quantifiable results.
As Clover is a nimble organization that can pivot quickly, her 11-plus-year experience there has been a refreshing divergence from her past experiences with large public companies. “I am very fortunate to be in a role at a company where I get a lot of freedom to move the chess pieces around the board, and that’s where I really thrive,” she noted.
“My mind never stops, and I am driven by the need to constantly create, solve problems, and strategize,” Posch added. “I am highly self-motivated, and no one could push me harder than I push myself to be better every day.”
Being an outsider to the traditional office products channel at the onset of her Clover career proved advantageous, as Posch was not beholden to traditional ways of getting things done. In the past two years as Clover sought to recast its brand, she employed the same neutral approach.
“We have looked at everything with a fresh eye,” Posch noted. “Why are we doing this? Does it still make sense? Could we do something different or better? I ask a lot of questions and am not afraid to make mistakes or try new things.
“We have an amazingly talented team, which provides me with the bandwidth to identify new opportunities and work on strategy. I spend a lot of time building relationships – inside and outside the organization. One of the keys to success for any organization is having sales and marketing aligned, so that’s also been a huge focus.”
The relaunch of Clover’s brand to leverage its sustainability value proposition in 2022 was a highly rewarding experience for Posch. Developing the go-to-market strategy and spending time in the field to communicate the message with partners and end-users, and seeing the ideals resonate within the imaging channel community made for a memorable year.
As predominantly a private-label manufacturer for the past 25 years, Posch believes Clover’s best growth opportunities lie in driving awareness of the company being the most environmentally sustainable brand on the market.
“We will continue to build upon that messaging to drive demand,” she said. “Our goal is to have businesses ask their dealer partner if they carry Clover Imaging printer supplies.”
Fundamental Underpinnings
Posch’s faith in God is a driving force in her life. She believes a key to growth and continuous improvement lies in emphasizing those fundamentals that have been the cornerstones of her success.
“Be the hardest working person in the room,” she noted. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or ask questions. Build relationships, treat everyone with kindness and respect, be humble, and do what you say you are going to do. If you do all these things, the pieces will fall into place, and you will end up where you are supposed to be.”
Posch and her husband, Mike, have been married for 20 years. They have two children: Tyler, 18, who is attending Arizona State University business school in the fall, and Mia, 16, a high school sophomore. Living in Scottsdale, Arizona, provides idyllic weather year-round, and she loves to take advantage of being outside as much as possible, running on trails and playing pickleball. A gym enthusiast, she also owns a small health and nutrition coaching business.
Family and friends are at the center of Posch’s universe—whether it’s cooking dinners, playing games, hanging out or trying new restaurants, she loves to invest time in those valued relationships. The family recently returned from its favorite vacation haunt, Cabo San Lucas.
“My life could be summed up by lots of work and lots of play,” she added.
