Walk into Steve Gau’s office, and you might find a framed picture of John McCain on the wall. Gau is an unabashed fan of the late senator’s free-wheeling, maverick style. That conjures images of a nonconformist, an unconventional free-spirited individual. And that’s just fine with Gau.
“Because that definition suits me well, my co-workers can count on me for straightforward, no-fluff answers on any topic that they want to talk about,” noted Gau, a 2019 ENX Magazine Difference Maker.
The president of the copier division for Marco doubles as the company’s unofficial “other CEO,” a.k.a. the chief entertainment officer. Whether it’s creating sales contests to places like Las Vegas, Nashville, Tennessee; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and Sun Valley, Idaho; or handing out tickets to Minnesota sporting events or country music concert tickets, Gau likes to keep his team happy and loose. When people love their job, they’re more apt to be productive and less likely to look for greener pastures.
Gau loves being involved with company outings during the Christmas season, and during the summer, he dons an apron and fires up the grill. Hand Gau a mic, and he’ll launch into a comedy set.
Mentor Role
But make no mistake about it. Gau’s greatest joy is playing a role in mentoring Marco employees to develop successful careers.
“I’ve really enjoyed being a part of leadership and having the opportunity to create satisfying careers for people by working with them to better understand sales, business in general and our company specifically, as well as how to deal with the adversity that comes with unexpected losses,” he said. “As well as how to celebrate the wins, among other things. I find it extremely satisfying to be a part of someone going from being a rookie sales rep to whatever it is they desire to achieve, whether that means becoming a major account sales rep or attaining a leadership position.”
While the names Gau and Marco may seem interchangeable, this was one Gau that almost wiggled off the company hook. While attending St. Cloud State, Gau worked part-time for the company, selling office supplies, office furniture and small desktop copiers. In his mind, Gau wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and get into sales. Upon graduating in 1994, the head of the copier sales team at Marco, Keith Schwichtenberg, offered him a job selling copiers.
Gau was unmoved. “I said, ‘Hell no, I have to get a real job, I can’t keep my college job,’” he recalled telling Schwichtenberg. But after a couple of year-plus stints in sales capacities with other firms, Gau had a change of heart. One day, he found a pay phone in Moline, Illinois, and called Schwichtenberg to see if there was still a position available. Twenty-two years later, Gau is convinced he made the right choice, and Schwichtenberg proved to be a key figure in his professional career.
Fairness Doctrine
“It’s Keith’s mentoring that taught me how to negotiate with our manufacturing partners,” Gau said. “He also taught me how to make decisions that were fair to the employee while keeping the company in mind. The key word in that statement is fair as that doesn’t mean it’s always popular. If all of the decisions you make are popular you probably aren’t making the tough decisions that often need to be made.”
Gau also counts Jonathan Warrey and brother Jeff Gau, Marco’s CEO, among his greatest influences. Warrey is smart, funny, compassionate and virtually unflappable, making him an ideal sounding board for Steve Gau’s more offbeat ideas. As for Jeff, who is nearly 15 years his senior, he dispenses fatherly-type advice and encouragement.
“He taught me the importance of self-awareness and EQ (emotional quotient) versus IQ,” Gau said. “If he didn’t help me understand the critical nature of EQ and improve my self-awareness, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Gau has embraced the “family first” philosophy, putting priorities on what matters most in life. As he points out, “No one ever says on their death bed, ‘I wish I would have worked more,’” he related.
Cross-Selling
He is excited to see the results of Marco blending its copier and IT sales reps, and Gau is quarterbacking the effort to increasingly cross-sell the company’s products and services. “As we realize more success with cross-selling today, it puts us on a path of having one very large strategic sales force in the future,” he said.
As Marco continues to grow both organically and through acquisition, Gau is hoping to leverage the knowledge base of the new contributors who join the organization. It’s all geared toward expanding his thinking, and his maverick style prevents Gau from closing his mind to the possibilities the future offers.
On the personal front, Gau has been married to his “beautiful and incredibly tolerant” wife Katie for nearly 24 years. They have two daughters, Anna and Sam, who are constantly embarrassed by their father. A dog (Charlotte) and two cats (Shirly and Selma) round out the Gau family.
Gau loves spending time at the tables in Las Vegas—a Silver Bullet in hand—as well as golfing. The family enjoys taking vacations, boat rides and going on the road to support the Minnesota Wild hockey team. He’s also quick to jump on the phone and call his dad whenever a member of the AL East-leading Twins cracks a home run.
“So we’ve been talking a LOT lately,” Gau added.
