We take pause again to celebrate women in the office technology channel with our 2026 Women Influencers issue, and I thought now would be an ideal time to revisit with Mary Jo Johnson. As the chief executive officer and owner of EO Johnson Business Technologies in Wausau, Wisconsin, she herself is a past influencer from eight years ago in The Cannata Report.
Emery O. Johnson, her father, founded their dealership back in mid-1957. And, like the three younger women featured in our cover story this year, Mary Jo chose to lead the family business—and has done so for more than a quarter-century. So, I asked her what she has learned since taking the reins in the early 2000s.
The Cannata Report named Mary Jo Johnson a Women Influencer in 2018.
Mary Jo, can you please share what it meant for you to take over a company founded by your dad—not just as a business leader but as his daughter?
MJJ: Taking over a company at any point stresses your head and your heart together, and that’s natural. But when you add the family relationship, it amplifi es everything because it becomes so much bigger than just one individual stepping into a role. When I came into the company, we were very careful not to make a big deal of the fact that I could eventually run the company. That wasn’t even part of the conversation at first.
I was simply working alongside my dad, helping him with things I had some training in. I never expected to stay, but I never left because I loved the culture. It felt like home to me. I’d encourage anyone stepping into a family business, whether you’re second generation or fifth, to play that down rather than up. It adds weight. People wonder if you’ll be just like the person before you, or if you’ll fi nd your own way. I think a lot of that comes down to communication and giving people time to see who you are.
What was your mindset, at the time. about finding your way in what was traditionally a man’s business, especially as the CEO?
MJJ: I had come from the insurance business, where, like so many industries in the 1980s, anyone out selling or working with the public was typically male, and the administrative roles were filled by women. That was simply the temperature of the water at the time. Copiers themselves were heavy, and moving them took muscle, so sales and service positions tended to be male, while admin and HR were not.
I noticed that people at industry events would ask me how hiring was going rather than asking about sales or profit and loss. It was just an assumed social structure. I accepted it because that was the world as it was, but I never let it stop me from showing up fully and proving I could provide value in every area. I got some pushbacks along the way. People expected something different from me because I was a woman, and I simply showed them otherwise. I figured we were all in it together, so let’s go.
Family businesses like EO Johnson often talk about stewardship rather than ownership. How does that idea resonate with you?
MJJ: I wish every business combined both because that’s where the magic happens, and that’s where the sales and repeat business happen. Stewardship means using your head and your heart together. It means coming in and helping people at their moment of need, whether that’s in their offices or in our communities.
My dad taught me from when I was a little kid that you have to give back, because if the community isn’t there, your business doesn’t exist either. We own the company, yes, but we see ourselves as stewards of it, and our core values reflect that every single day: Treat people the way they’d like to be treated and always do the right thing. It’s basic, human stuff that’s easy to forget in this fast-paced world, but it’s the foundation of everything we do.
EO Johnson CEO Mary Jo Johnson
One of the biggest concerns of the industry today is attracting younger talent. What do you think office technology companies need to do differently to appeal to the next generation?
MJJ: I think a lot of that is already happening naturally. Back in the 1980s, this business was all about making copies. It was a necessary aspect of business, but not exactly exciting. Today the industry is dynamic. It includes cybersecurity, document management, and using AI the right way, and that gets younger people’s energy flowing. Our new hires love our values first; and second, they love the excitement of an industry that’s changing so quickly because that means real upward mobility for them. I love where this industry is going, and I think people are finally starting to see copier companies for what we’ve truly become.
What do you want to share with our three 2026 Women Influencers about the opportunity and responsibility in front of them?
MJJ: Honestly, I would love to meet all three of them! I imagine we’d have so much in common. What a blessing it is to carry forward a family legacy. Most people never get that opportunity. But it does come with weight and expectations. My advice is to chart your own course, and surround yourself with the right people—especially those who were there during your father’s time because that history matters. Honor it, learn from it, and then move forward, keeping what still works and updating what doesn’t.
This industry is so much fun, and it’s changing constantly. What a gift to have a parent who built something, brought you in, and watched you fall in love with it for your own reasons. The course has been set beautifully. Now it’s up to each of them to take it where it needs to go next.
What advice would you give to our 2026 Women Influencers about finding their leadership voice and style?
MJJ: It’s important to know how your father, or your predecessor, did things but you don’t have to duplicate it. That awareness matters because people will have certain expectations, but you must find your own style. One mistake I made early on was thinking I had to emulate my dad’s leadership style completely. Some of it fit me, and some of it was like putting on a shoe that almost fit, but not quite.
Eventually, I realized I had to just be me, while still leaning on the people around me. Pull them in, ask what they’re thinking, get their feedback. You don’t have to do this alone unless you want to. But the biggest thing is to let your heart lead you. Your head will help make it right. Honor history, let it springboard you forward, and trust that you will find your way because you really will.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice before becoming CEO, what would it be?
MJJ: Give yourself enough grace. High achievers tend to want to be perfectionists, or at least to be seen that way, and it’s simply impossible. You will fail, and learning from those failures is the best teacher you will
ever have. You are leading, yes, but you are also still learning—learning to lead and learning from everyone around you. Always be ready to learn but always give yourself a soft place to land because you will make mistakes. And that’s okay.
Coffee with Carol Cannata
