Linnea Wolken is the Director, Global Marketing, Alliances & Operations, Software & Services, Commercial Printing Business Group based in Boulder, Colorado. In this Ricoh Production Software “In the Spotlight” interview, we got a chance to get to know her a little bit better. Read on for her thoughts on work, life, a little bit of fun and what’s next in 2021.
Work
What brought you to Ricoh and when/how? I started working for Ricoh Imaging as Director of Marketing for North America, based in Denver. When that office was re-located to New Jersey I was lucky enough that someone in HR knew of a global marketing strategy role open in a Ricoh software group based in Boulder. In my five years with Ricoh, I have taken on global software strategy and planning, alliances, operations, and marketing responsibilities. It has been a fantastic learning opportunity and I have met so many great people in many countries.
What leadership quality do you admire the most? Transparency. It is the foundation for all relationships and builds a team fostered by trust and accountability. We get so much more done when we are genuine with each other.
What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most or what does a day in the life of Linnea look like? I truly enjoy the variety in my role. From the creative aspect to analytics work as well as the people I interact with.
What is the best career advise you’ve been given so far? Good leaders are the smartest one in the room, great leaders surround themselves with smarter people that will challenge ideas, bring new perspectives to the table and drive innovation.
What advice would you give to new hires? Work hard and play harder. Life is too short to live it mostly behind a computer screen!
What would you do if you weren’t doing this? I would be a volunteer who trains dogs to be pet therapy dogs, like my parents do.
Life
What is something that might surprise people about yourself? I used to be an alpine ski racer. Slalom was my favorite discipline followed by Giant Slalom.
What are 3 words your kids would use to describe you? Fun. Great. Helpful.
Do you have a motto or personal philosophy? Yes. I strive for perfection and I settle for pride. Perfection may not always be attainable but, if you make every step count along the way, you can appreciate the wins and take pride in the progress.
How do you balance your career and family? Not well sometimes! Honestly, a shared calendar and good communication with my husband is key. We also aim to have only 1 sport per season per person!
Fun
What book did you read last? Or what movie did you last watch? Wonder Woman 1984.
What is the superpower you wish you had? The ability to add more hours to a day to……
Favorite movie quote? “I’m rich.” Aqua Man was stating to Bruce Wayne that all of the others had superpowers and that Batman runs around in a bat suit. To that end he asked, “So what’s your superpower?” To which Bruce replied, “I’m rich.”
When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? My husband, 2 sons, 2 dogs and I snuggle on a couch and watch YouTube shows.
When you’re not working you are….most likely driving one of my sons somewhere! If I’m not at my desk I am in the car.
Name one food you can’t resist. Cannoli.
Chips or Chocolate? Chocolate.
Next
What’s your hope for a successful 2021? Widespread Covid-19 immunity, businesses worldwide get back to pre-Covid sales levels, being able to travel and have large gatherings safely, and celebrate both small and large team wins. That would make me happiest.
If you have any questions or to get connected with Linnea, reach out to her on LinkedIn.
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