Celebrates a Decade of Honoring Female Leadership in the Office Technology Industry
Top: At The Cannata Report’s 40th Anniversary Awards & Charities Gala, Tom McMahon, president of Southeast dealership Milner, Inc., praised the powerful women in the dealer channel. In explaining why sponsoring the Women Influencers Brunch is so meaningful to him, McMahon reflected about how his mother, after his father died, became a salesperson for Gestetner in Yonkers, New York, in 1978 to support their family.
Below: CJ Cannata (left center) and Carol Cannata (right center) with all of the amazing and highly-accomplished women who attended this year’s 10th Anniversary Women Influencers Brunch.
The Cannata Report celebrated a significant milestone on November 14 with its 10th Anniversary Women Influencers Brunch. Held the morning after the 40th Anniversary Awards & Charities Gala, the event drew nearly 60 women from across the office technology ecosystem— making it the most well-attended in the event’s history.
This year’s Women Influencers—Mary Hart, head of commercial channel print sales, HP, Sarah Henderson, former regional director, North America, Nexera and MPS Monitor, and Jennifer Healy, vice president of channel and SMB marketing, Ricoh USA—were celebrated as standout leaders who are helping to shape the dealer channel and impact its future success. The event was supported by sponsors Milner, Inc., Distribution Management, GreatAmerica Financial Services, Konica Minolta, and Xerox.
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The Cannata Report also posted a written Gala recap: “Big Wins at The Cannata Report’s Successful 40th Anniversary Awards & Charities Gala,” upwards of 100 Gala Photos: The Cannata Report 40th Anniversary Awards & Charities Gala Photo Galleries, and a must-watch Gala reel: Video Highlights from The Cannata Report’s 40th Annual Awards & Charities Gala.
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Sponsor representatives—Tom McMahon, president, Milner, Inc.; Sarah Custer, vice president, sales operations, Distribution Management; Laura Blackmer, president, channel sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc.; Stacey Miller, vice president of sales, GreatAmerica Financial Services; and Jayne Tuma, director, partner business development and field marketing, Xerox—addressed the guests and each underscored the importance of events that elevate and connect women in the office technology dealer channel. McMahon, who spoke about the Brunch’s 10th anniversary at the Gala the night before, discussed why sponsoring it is especially meaningful to him as he does it to honor his mother, sharing that when his father died, she became a salesperson for Gestetner in Yonkers, New York, in 1978 to support his family.
STREAM OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY WOMEN INFLUENCERS BRUNCH SOUNDTRACK!
This year’s event was co-hosted by 2023 Women Influencer Melissa Confalone, president of Fraser Advanced Information Systems, along with Carol C. Cannata, senior vice president, client services and events. Confalone moderated the brunch’s centerpiece discussion, leading the 2025 Women Influencers in a thoughtful exploration of this year’s theme: how they use inspiration to lead their careers and their teams. Confalone spoke about her career and encouraged this year’s Women Influencers to share their experiences and defining moments that have shaped their career paths and influenced their leadership philosophies. Hart, Henderson, and Healy, who were profiled in The Cannata Report’s July/August 2025 Women Influencers cover story, each shared how they navigate the challenges faced by working women everywhere.
The roundtable conversation was heightened by candid comments from our guests in the open forum led by Confalone. Much of the discussion centered on the importance of mentorship and support, and many guests spoke of how mentors, both male and female, supported their careers, enabling them to advance and succeed in the industry.
To commemorate the Brunch’s 10th anniversary, Carol C. Cannata presented attendees with a boxed card set featuring quotes from Women Influencers profiled since the franchise launched in 2014. The box’s exterior featured a pop art interpretation of all the Women Influencers covers. In her enclosed note, Cannata wrote that the insights and wisdom selected from the Women Influencers’ interviews “speak to resilience, authenticity, and leadership” and reflect “genuine, heartfelt expressions from women who are shaping our industry and paving the way for others.”
The 10th Anniversary Women Influencers Brunch celebrated the accomplishments of Hart, Henderson, and Healy and reaffirmed The Cannata Report’s overall mission for its Women Influencers franchise: to amplify the voices of the office technology industry’s most dynamic female leaders and cultivate a network of women who continue to innovate, inspire, and lead with purpose.
“This year’s Brunch highlighted just how far our initiative has come,” said CJ Cannata, president and CEO. “We are grateful and humbled that it has become a highlight of our Gala celebration. Our goal is to continue building on this momentum and keep the accomplishments of women in the industry front and center.”
