CEO JUDITH MALOY & POLARIS DIRECT HONORED AT INDUSTRY AWARDS CEREMONY

By Lisbeth Lyons Black (Director, Women in Print Alliance)

“The Big Hairy Audacious Goals” might sound like the title of a children’s book, but instead it was the mission statement behind an award-winning program, Vivid Vision 2020, that recently claimed first place at the Innovators of the Year Award ceremony hosted by Printing Impressions in conjunction with the Print Leadership Summit in Florida.

Judith Maloy, Director & CEO of Polaris Direct, LLC, accepted the award for her company’s launch and execution of a corporate-wide long-term strategic plan, the first in its 20 years of business. As Polaris stated in its award nomination, the company had “always focused on short-term goals geared to winning RFPs.” But by using reverse engineering, Polaris’ management teams undertook a deep dive SWOT analysis to select, refine, and launch departmentally-driven “BHAGS” to be systematically achieved in a three-year timeframe. And “launch” they did, using no less a setting than the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH to set the shoot-for-the-stars tone for the long-term plan.

Despite the pandemic, Polaris was able to meet and exceed BHAGS beyond the company’s original expectations. Polaris stated that their team “never let the COVID virus infect their enthusiasm” for staying on task and meeting goals. A snapshot of achievements during the 2020-23 period include:

• Installed new high-speed bindery and print equipment;
• Became SGP certifed;
• Increased revenues YOY by 107 percent; and
• Engaged 3 new clients and renewed multiple long-term client contracts.

By pivoting as needed during the pandemic, Polaris never closed its doors and rallied teams through the challenging time, all while implementing health and safety goals. As an exciting capstone to “Vivid Vision 2020” – and with goals balanced and renewed – the company launched “Scale and Mail,” a new corporate strategic plan with a new set of “Big Hairy Audacious Goals and dreams” that, under Judith’s leadership, seem destined to come true.

Women in Print Alliance congratulates Judith and Polaris Direct on being named Innovators of the Year!

Originally published by Women in Print Alliance on February 15, 2024
https://womeninprintalliance.org/ceo-judith-maloy-and-polaris-honored-as-innovators-of-the-year/