Jennifer Healy has never shied away from a challenge. Having accrued nearly 30 years in the industry, with all but four of them spent immersed in the world of marketing, she forged a Teflon-like coating that prevented challenges from sticking. Thus, when the opportunity came to form dealer field marketing at Ricoh USA more than eight years ago, Healy was happy to oblige.
After all, field marketing was in her wheelhouse. She had led a highly successful direct field marketing team for a number of years. Tangling with the dealer world wouldn’t be a problem. Or would it?
“I was quickly humbled as I started to learn more about the dealer side of the business and earn their respect,” said Healy, a 2023 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “It was more about influence marketing and more collaboration with the division. Since then, it has been the most rewarding part of my career as we have really been able to grow the marketing team that supports the dealers. My team and I get up every day and want to make a difference.”
Office technology is an inherited gene for Healy. Her father worked at Lanier Worldwide for many years, providing service, technology, sales and worldwide strategic marketing. Healy attended college with the intention of majoring in law, but after interning at Lanier for a summer—working in finance and dealer reconciliation—she began to view the industry as a viable alternative. Healy shifted gears, switched to psychology, and joined Lanier’s sales force after graduating.
Today, Healy is the director of marketing strategy and programs for the dealer and partner channel. During her 29 years (almost 17 spent at Ricoh), she’s held positions in sales, training, ecommerce, vertical markets, leadership and marketing. Healy feels the growth opportunities are endless, but as she learned during her dealer field marketing venture, success is not always a fait accompli. Change and innovation are a constant, and a must.
“Over the past eight years, the Ricoh dealer marketing team and the Ricoh Dealer Division have worked hard to drive growth through co-branded campaigns, content, tools and programs that increase sales, market share and brand recognition, while connecting with target audiences/buyers,” Healy said. “Having a vision and strategy is key, but it is the people you work with and the execution that make it a reality and incredibly rewarding. It is the people I get to work with each day that motivate me to make a change and drive to be a better leader. I love watching my team, dealers and teammates grow and evolve and see their full potential.”
Voices Heard
Collaboration is the main ingredient in Healy’s secret sauce. The diverse ideas and approaches that are derived from the marketing team translate into innovative solutions. The byproducts are simultaneously fulfilling and effective.
“When you give people a voice and take time to listen, you tap into a unique set of skills and strengths that help you execute on a strategy as a team,” Healy observed. “This is when you have the biggest impact and see shared accountability. It is through that team approach that my peers and I grow the business and achieve success. Adding collaboration to my motivational type of personality has really allowed me to have an impact. To me, the road and this industry is paved with so many opportunities and we can all make a difference.”
Along her journey, Healy has encountered a number of professionals who have left a lasting impression on her personally and professionally. Her first mentor, Chris Carter, shared that the road to the mountaintop would be filled with learning moments, and that successes and failures would help make her a better leader.
“It is what you do with your findings that leads to real change,” Healy observed.
These days, she finds Jim Coriddi—vice president of the Ricoh Dealer Division—to be an excellent work partner and coach. Coriddi encourages Healy to maximize her potential as a marketing leader, and can always be counted on to offer sage wisdom.
“There is one thing that stands out and I think about every day,” Healy said of one such knowledge nugget. “He said, ‘Jen, always remember to focus on the things that will have the greatest impact, always look forward and inspire others around you to be the best…and never forget the word we when you speak.’ That wisdom has helped me succeed as a marketing leader in this industry and I am so grateful.”
Laying Foundation
It was a busy 2022 for Healy and Co., between laying the groundwork for last month’s Dealer Partner Summit and hosting think tanks that focused on topics from the dealer community. Through workshops, surveys and meetings, the feedback Ricoh received poured the foundation for its 2023 communication strategy, including a series of like-minded dealer events.
Healy’s team also churned out 10-plus dealer sales and marketing kits, content designed to help dealers guide end-users through any juncture within the buying journey. The kits have proven to be a big hit, based on the feedback and results.
The momentum continued into 2023. Employing the mantra “Vision Meets Action,” the feedback Ricoh received has been instrumental in crafting a plan of action.
“We will continue to be an extension of the dealership’s marketing and co-innovate,” she said. “The team will continue to provide areas of growth and create new programs that assist the dealers and the division.”
Growth just isn’t limited to the business ledger. “There is always room to improve—that is growth,” she said. “We will continue to listen and adapt to the buyer’s landscape and provide the resources to our dealers to help them succeed and deepen the partnership.”
Away from the office, Healy and her husband, Randy, have been married for 13 years. They enjoy traveling, attending concerts and learning about new cultures. They also love to spend time with their grandchildren and attend their sporting events.
