“Leading with Honesty & Dedication”

Gina Danner’s committed leadership spans over 30 years. The CEO of NextPage has left her mark through both good and challenging times in so many ways. She is constantly focused on the future, including the future product and service mix, future leaders in the company, and future impact on the community.

Gina’s passion for the company is demonstrated in how she shows up every day. While many leaders stay in their office, it is not unusual to see Gina on the plant floor working alongside the staff, moving skids, catching mail, packing boxes, and sweeping floors, willing to help where she can. When needed, she will work 16-hour days in departments to better understand the employee experience with the goal of improving their environment and experience.

“If people are uncomfortable with you it is often because you’ve spoken the truth in a way that resonated.”

“The barrier I have faced most often over these last 33 years, usually as the sole female in a room full of industry leaders, is the reality that I can make my peers uncomfortable. I am direct, honest, and I use data to make my points,” she says. “If I speak up on a topic, it is typically a subject I care about so I know where I stand and have data points to support it. That directness and fearlessness can be off-putting to those that don’t know me and don’t know my heart.” But, Gina’s role model, her father—a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant—raised her to dream, create a vision, and then work harder than anyone else in the room.

For Gina, time is precious. To build her company, she spent endless hours focused on work. She has learned, “If people are uncomfortable with you, it is often because you’ve spoken the truth in a way that resonated. The realization of that makes them uncomfortable. Some of your close allies may try to encourage you to “shrink,” don’t be so bold, be less blunt. Over the years, I have learned to regulate my passion and external voice, but I will never be small enough for some people.” Armed with this ideology, she has taken the company to new heights.

What started as a small company, where everyone was family, has become a 140-person strong organization focused on taking care of some big brand names. The company’s goal is to provide clients with something different – something they like to call “More than Print.”

While direct mail is the primary product produced, NextPage provides clients peace of mind in knowing they are committed to providing the best products at the best value with the best results alongside a team that helps them solve problems other than ink on paper. “When we are able to fully engage with a client it isn’t unusual that we will streamline their billing interactions with us, as well as every other touch point along the ordering process,” she explains. “When I think about NextPage and more important our advancement, I think about the development of a solid brand that speaks to the value we deliver for our clients. In 2013 we crafted a one page “brand poster.” This individual sheet of paper drives every decision at NextPage. If the decision doesn’t align with the brand, we know it is the wrong decision.”

What’s in the future? NextPage will continue to advance creating digitally and physically connected marketing solutions supporting marketers and brands of all sizes. 2022 will see an expansion of those efforts with added innovation and investment. “We are launching and formalizing our Managed Services program that provides enterprise clients with a single source for print, mail, and copy solutions on or offsite. In addition, we are expanding our API suite to further enhance ease of service for enterprise marketers,” adds the steadfast leader. “The goal is to reduce the cost of marketing execution and increase the value of the physical piece.” IEWL