The best leaders I know are masterful at execution. Trevor Akervik is one of those guys. Trevor currently serves as our Senior Sales Director of Managed Services. He led the development of our Managed Services initiative, which today is the driving force of our business and has significantly impacted our growth over the past 10 years.
I first met Trevor while serving on the board of the St. Cloud Technical & Community College. He served as a student representative at the time. I was immediately impressed by his presence. As we were talking in the parking lot after one of our board meetings, I told him that when he was ready to advance his career to give me a call.
He ended up taking another job after college and when the timing was right for him, he called me. Trevor joined Marco as a sales specialist and aspired to be a leader at Marco. When an opportunity came up, he pursued it.
Early on, I asked if he would serve as our Director of Managed Services. It was not the position he initially wanted, but I shared with him why I believed it was a position he was best-suited for. We were struggling to get Managed Print Services off the ground. He took the responsibility and never looked back.
Through both success and failure, Trevor turned Managed Services into a profitable business and a significant part of our future. In the first five years, he grew Managed Services to $19 million, including expanding Managed IT from $300,000 to $7 million.
Now, more than 10 years later, Managed Services has grown to $48 million. It has earned him industry awards and accolades, including his face on the cover of a sought-out publication. I’m confident that it will continue to be one of the fastest growing segments of our business.
Trevor is among the best leaders I’ve worked with who can bring the newest technology services to market. Here are some of his qualities to emulate:
- A laser focus.
He grabs ahold of the vision, keeps it at the forefront and refuses to allow anything to prevent him from achieving it. He did it for Managed Services and I have seen it in his personal life when he set a lofty physical fitness goal and started a running regiment. His unbreakable focus on a goal and commitment to executing inspires the people around him.
- Understands process.
He does not just see the goal or the path to get there. He truly understands the processes that are in place and how they affect performance. He does not want the results to be fleeting so he ensures the processes are established and operating as expected to get sustainable results. - Won't procrastinate.
Trevor is an achiever. Whether it’s taking a new product to market or identifying an issue to fix, he doesn’t delay in taking action. I don’t think it’s in his DNA to procrastinate on a task.
- Keeps score.
That drives him to continue to do better. He’s a performer, but he’s also a realist. He will be the first to make sure the numbers are right. He does not take them at face value. He goes deeper to ensure they are being measured accurately. If they aren’t, he’ll be the first to dig in and uncover a solution. - Refuses excuses.
Trevor is results-driven. He doesn’t like to fail. But he won’t let excuses be a part of the path either. Instead of making excuses, he fixes the issue and focuses on making progress.
When I look back at Trevor’s 16-year career, I can definitely see how his skillsets and track record of execution will continue to make a positive impact on some of the most strategic areas of our business. Trevor has been a personal friend of mine for many years, and I’m looking forward to achieving more great things together.
Read about more leaders to follow: Steve Gau, Scott Roeder, Barry Opatz
