Leadership Blog

Jeff Gau

Jeff Gau

Jeff Gau accepted a sales position at Marco in 1984, and soon he became a sales manager. He was promoted to president in 2003 and was named chief executive officer in 2005. During his time as CEO, Jeff led the company through aggressive growth and opportunities. He transformed what started as a small typewriter dealer in 1973, into a rapidly growing technology company, with offices located nationally – from the Midwest to the East Coast. Under Jeff’s leadership, Marco became a leader in business IT services, copier/printer solutions, and managed and cloud services. As CEO, Jeff drove business results not only through consistent financial performance and client satisfaction, but also through employee satisfaction, attracting and keeping good people, and supporting a fun and unique culture. During his time as CEO, Marco consistently earned local, state and national awards as a workplace. After 37 years with Marco, Jeff retired from his CEO position in April 2021. However, he remains involved with the company, serving as chairman of the Board of Directors.
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Signing Off As CEO

When I started my career, I wanted what most employees want – a company with a good reputation, ethical bosses, high achievers, and a fun environment.

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Leave Things Better

A job well done means we leave something better than we found it. This never seemed as paramount as it does for me now, as I prepare to hand over the reins and retire at the end of this month.

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Feeling Risky? Assess Your Tolerance

Every day, as leaders we have to assess risk and make decisions. Some leaders have a higher risk tolerance than others or are willing to take a risk in one circumstance or another. The best leaders get good at calculating risks, evaluating consequences and taking timely action to…

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Somebody's Always Better

As an organization, we’ve made a habit of finding and following the best. Rather than spinning our wheels talking about what a better practice, product or outcome could be, we go looking for it. When you’re serious about improving your company, your team or yourself, the first st…

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Making Split-Second & Strategic Decisions

Not all leaders are effective decision-makers. So often, I watch good intentions get stuck. Leaders can be smart, they can be insightful, they can be bold, and they can even be strategic in their thinking, and still not be decisive when it’s needed. Effective leaders make these t…

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You Can Be Innovative

What does innovation mean to you? Do new inventions and lofty plans come to mind? That’s common. So often we think we need to invent the next iPhone or Tesla to be innovative. But that’s just one type of innovation; as organizations, we typically have the most to gain when we con…

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Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

In a recent planning session with some Marco leaders, we discussed what words we hope people use when talking about our company. One of the qualities that rose to the top was “generous.”

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Gifts In A Social Recession

Every year, I look forward to the holidays and Christmas shopping. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed spending time looking for the perfect gift – something meaningful, usually practical and often an item that the person would not get otherwise.

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Are You Getting Crispy?

It’s not uncommon to feel a little – or a lot – “crispy” after a busy day, week or month, especially these days. Even the highest performers, with the highest capacities, can get burned out and need a break. Those who are most successful know what they need to do to refresh and r…

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Should Managers Be Mentors?

High performers almost always credit good mentors for their development and success. I have had many mentors who have influenced me over the years. While I learned a lot from my supervisors, some of my best mentors were not my bosses.

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