OPI TALK

This week’s OPI Talk features Paddy Donnelly and Dave Bent, Group CEO and President North America respectively at ES Tech Group.

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann caught up with both for the Big Interview in the September issue of OPI. One of the many topics discussed was the vital importance of a great online customer experience. This then seamlessly led to the challenges so hotly debated particularly in the US business supplies space right now around technology and content. As this excerpt from the interview reveals, Donnelly and Bent feel very strongly about who should – and shouldn’t – be at the forefront of tech developments and why.

To read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

Episode produced by Michelle Sturman

The board of Australian dealer group Office Choice recently approved a new strategic plan. Therefore, it seemed like an opportune moment for a catch-up with the organisation’s CEO Brad O’Brien.

OPI’s Andy Braithwaite spoke to Brad about the plan, the independent dealer channel in Australia and Office Choice’s recent OPIX event, held in partnership with GNS Wholesale Stationers.

Episode recorded and produced by Andy Braithwaite

A closer look at ACCO Brands’ Q2 2022 performance with the company’s CEO Boris Elisman.

ACCO Brands reported its second quarter 2022 earnings on 9 August. Shortly after the manufacturer’s analyst conference call had ended, OPI’s Andy Braithwaite spoke with ACCO CEO Boris Elisman about the results and some of the main issues and trends in ACCO’s key markets.

Episode recorded and edited by Andy Braithwaite

Vending firm Selecta now refers to itself as a ‘food tech company’ after repositioning itself in the workplace food and beverage space.

In this episode of OPI Talk, Toby Venus, Commercial Director at Selecta UK & Ireland, discusses some of the latest office breakroom trends, including the growing popularity – and sophistication – of micro markets.

Click here to read a recent opinion piece by Toby on the role of technology in creating better breakroom experiences.

Episode recorded and edited by Andy Braithwaite

Writing instruments vendor uniball recently announced a rebrand of its operations in North America to uni.

As the company’s President Mike Parker says in this episode of OPI Talk, it’s more than just a name change. It’s symbolic of an ambitious strategy by uni to essentially double its sales in North America over the next five years as it looks to expand its product portfolio and grow its presence in the art and creativity categories.

Uni’s roots may go back 135 years, but it has very much a start-up mentality following the ending of a distribution agreement with Newell Brands, effective January 2020. That meant Parker – a former Fellowes exec – had to build the business out from scratch.

Episode recorded and produced by Andy Braithwaite

Lyreco Germany’s Falko Köhler is making something of a name for himself in the business products industry.

Following an impressive appearance at last year’s OPI European Forum Online and a place in OPI’s 30 Under 30 feature, the now-31-year-old was presented with the 2022 Young Professional of the Year prize at March’s European Office Products Awards (EOPA).

In his EOPA acceptance speech, Köhler said: “We need to push a dusty industry into the digital era.”

In this episode of OPI Talk, Andy Braithwaite asks Köhler to elaborate on this statement, and for his views on the industry from a younger person’s perspective.

Episode recorded and edited by Andy Braithwaite

The guest on this episode of OPI Talk is Adriano Alessio, Managing Director of the country’s last remaining B2B independent dealer group, In Ufficio.

Adriano Alessio has been a key figure in the Italian office products market for the past 25 years, both as Managing Director of In Ufficio and as President of the now-defunct trade association AIFU.

In this OPI Talk interview, Alessio discusses the impact of COVID on the Italian business products sector, talks about his efforts to help In Ufficio members evolve to changing market conditions and looks at whether AIFU could be revived.

Episode recorded and edited by Andy Braithwaite

OPI Talk speaks with South African industry veteran Hans Servas as he prepares to retire as Chairman of the country’s shop-sa stationery and office products trade association.

As reported recently on the OPI website, South African trade association shop-sa has appointed a COO ahead of the retirement of its current Chairman Hans Servas at the end of this month.

Servas enjoyed a long and successful career in the country’s stationery and office products sector before taking on the Chairmanship of shop-sa in 2012. As he prepares to step down, the association will now be led by Hanlie Delport, who was brought in as its COO in April of this year.

In this podcast, Andy Braithwaite speaks to Servas about his career, some of the challenges that shop-sa has faced in the past few years and what he hopes the association will be able to achieve going forward.

Episode recorded and edited by Andy Braithwaite

There have been a couple of big stories in the European aftermarket print supplies channel in the past few weeks.

First, it was announced that the European Commission had rejected a Voluntary Agreement for the imaging equipment sector, saying the proposals didn’t go far enough in terms of sustainability targets. That means the EU will now draft its own legislation for the sector.

And then, shortly after that, Clover Imaging announced it was pulling out of the European market, with almost immediate effect.

What does all this mean for the remanufacturing industry in Europe? Well, that is something that OPI News Editor Andy Braithwaite recently discussed with Gerwald van de Gijp and Bob Reynolds of Armor Print Solutions.

Episode recorded and edited by Andy Braithwaite

Our guest in this episode of OPI Talk is Jeanette Bresitz, Managing Director of UK dealer group Office Friendly. 

OPI’s Heike Dieckmann spoke to Bresitz for the Big Interview in the June issue of OPI. About a year into the job at Office Friendly but with plenty of experience in our industry, she quickly addressed some simple necessities for the group’s dealer members. Throwing off the shackles of a restricted core office products offering was just one of them, an endeavour that also involves some serious conversations with the wholesale community. 

This is an excerpt from the interview. For more in-depth information and to read the full feature in the magazine, make sure you are subscribed to OPI.

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