EXIT INTERVIEWS

NEW YEAR,

NEW ADVENTURES

Marc Olin, Ken Garner and Michael Makin make their exits - for now.

As a year wraps up and a new one begins, many people choose to make a new beginning. We spoke with three printing industry veterans who have done just that. While the three individuals we are recognizing here – Marc Olin, formerly COO at EFI; Michael Makin, former CEO of PIA and EVP at PRINTING United Alliance; and Ken Garner, formerly SVP for Content Creation at the Association for Print Technologies – are not the only printing professionals who are starting the new year with a new adventure, we wanted to give them special recognition for all of their contributions and years of service.

Michael Makin

this one made the most sense, and the board agreed with him. Getting the merger done was not easy, but they persevered and made it happen. For the PIA Affiliates, Makin believes that the PRINTING United Alliance has many resources that will be made available to them beyond what PIA alone could do. “One of the greatest things we did, both before and after the merger,” Makin said, “was providing information to members about how to navigate the pandemic from an HR perspective, how to make their plants safer, and also great advice on how to access and use Federal government resources such as PPP. Thousands of printing companies came to rely on that information, particularly when it came to PPP and HR. It is in times of crisis like this that an

I’m pretty sure all of our readers know or have association is most valuable.” interacted with Michael Makin over the years. As for Makin’s future plans, he’ll take some wellBack in 1995, he was President of the Canadian deserved time off to consider his options. He notes Printing Association, and then joined PIA in 2001 as that he’s been working since he was 15 years old, so COO, ultimately becom- it’s time to smell the roses. ing CEO, a role he held Michael “I’m happy to report that I am going to take time for almost two decades. Makin to take it easy, enjoy time with family and see what In May of 2020, he my future holds,” Makin said. “I think the organizabecame Executive Vice tion [PRINTING United Alliance] is in phenomenal President at PRINTING hands with Ford [Bowers]. He’s one of the brightUnited Alliance, when est people I have ever had the privilege of working PIA and PRINTING with, spot on vision about where they industry United Alliance com- needs to go and has brought together a powerpleted their much house team to deliver it.” expected merger. Looking ahead for the industry, Makin agrees

As we move into with Joel Quadracci’s assessment that this is the 2021, Makin takes a look back and a look ahead. golden age of print – he referred to it as a renaisOver the years, there have been several attempts at sance of print – and pointed out that the fact that mergers of printing industry associations that have the associations were able to get print established not made it over the finish line. Makin notes that as an essential business during the pandemic really

speaks to its import.

“We’re Zoomed out and deluged with electronic communications,” he said. “And it’s not just print anymore. Companies are adding other services like augmented reality and multichannel strategies that will embrace print. Print is not just the ‘oh, gee,’ it’s the ‘oh, my!’ I’m very bullish about the future.”

Marc Olin

when EFI was acquired by Siris, and then migrated into the COO role. So he certainly had expertise in this area. He also clearly has a lot of expertise in the MIS/ERP area. I clearly remember when I first met Olin. It was at Seybold Boston in 1999 when the roll-up organization PrintCafe was announced. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what they were talking about, but it was clearly an important announce-

Marc Olin co-founded ProGraph in 1989 right ment. And there was a lot of drama associated out of college and has basically stayed with the with the company in the ensuing years, including same company through its many iterations since, a public battle between Creo and EFI to acquire through formation of PrintCafe and acquisition by PrintCafe. Olin described EFI as the “white EFI. Effective Dec. 1, 2020, Olin left EFI to explore knight” that helped them bring their vision to his next chapter. reality, “bringing digital technology to the indus-

Like Makin, he’s try to help move it from a craft industry to a more taking some time off to modern manufacturing industry. decide what’s next, but Software was part of that, but so he is also keeping his was digital printing, and EFI was toes in the water with a the perfect vehicle to allow that new company he estab- to happen. It’s amazing that, 20 lished, Nilo Enterprises years later, much of our vision (Nilo is Olin spelled has been accomplished; and one of those origibackward). The idea is to nal six company CEOs—Udi Arieli—was there the use the skills he devel- Marc Olin whole time with me at EFI, and he happens to be oped over the years retiring this year as well.” with EFI to help companies with ERP/MIS deci- He also gives a great deal of credit to then CEO sions, M&A, and with companies trying to go public of EFI, Guy Gecht. or private, or to acquire or sell their businesses, in a “People said we were crazy to go into the hardconsulting role. ware business with the acquisition of VUTEk.

“It’s either that,” he said, “or spend my time prac- Even the software business with PrintCafe was ticing to qualify for the Senior PGA tour; but if a big departure for EFI at the time. As a provider you’ve seen my golf swing, you’ll know it’s a much of Fiery solutions to OEMs, EFI only had to deal safer bet to stick to consulting!”

During his long tenure at EFI, Olin oversaw more than 25 acquisitions as the company significantly broadened its portfolio, from its primarily OEM-based business to a direct sales model with software and inkjet. Ultimately, Olin was serving as CFO Read More… Find article at PrintingNews. com/21147658

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Cary Sherburne is a well-known author, journalist and marketing consultant whose practice is focused on marketing communications strategies for the printing and publishing industries.