In this episode, Founder Frank G. Cannata and Chief Editor Mark Vruno continue their 2026 WatchList candid discussion, with a focus on people. Cannata explains why Doug Albregts, now Marco Technologies’ trailblazing chairman, continues to be a person to follow. The challenges that Albregts has met working for a private equity firm are quite impressive, he believes. Norwest Equity Partners, the mega dealer’s PE owner, favors an IT-centric approach, Vruno notes, which is why it brought on new CEO Brian Wyatt in Q4 2025.
Konica Minolta’s Laura Blackmer is the other person highlighted this week. Blackmer, who serves as president of dealer sales, accepted the ’25 Frank Award as “Best Female Executive” for the ninth time! Earlier this month at the OEM’s High Velocity Summit in Palm Beach, Florida, Blackmer walked dealers through the basics of REV’D UP 2.0, its enhanced performance program. “Konica Minolta has quietly done a lot of things differently,” observes Cannata, adding that he’s excited to see the manufacturer’s new inkjet product introductions coming to market between now and 2028. He concludes by citing the strong, dual leadership of Blackmer and Frank Mallozzi, who joined Konica Minolta as president of Industrial and Production Print in mid-2024.
