As creative production businesses navigate shorter runs, faster turnaround times and growing demand for integrated digital workflows, technology providers are under pressure to evolve. Hardware alone is no longer enough. Customers expect connected ecosystems, smarter use of data and support that strengthens productivity.
Jessie Parker, managing director of Roland DG ANZ, brings more than 15 years’ experience across sales, product and marketing in IT, SaaS and advanced hardware to the role. Her career has been shaped by one consistent belief – that growth occurs when strategy and customer experience move in sync.
“My journey began at Fuji Xerox,” she says. “That was where I first saw how deeply customer experience can influence business transformation. When technology aligns with how customers actually work, it changes outcomes.”
From there, Parker moved into leadership roles at Ricoh Australia and Taco Technologies, guiding teams through portfolio evolution, digital transitions and periods of channel expansion.
“At Ricoh, I led both hardware and software product teams and introduced new SaaS solutions into the portfolio. It reinforced for me that customers don’t just buy devices – they invest in capability.”
Her time at Taco Technologies, during a period of scale, further cemented her leadership approach.
“Cross-functional unity isn’t optional. When product, sales, marketing and operations move sequentially, speed suffers. When they move together, you create momentum.”
A deliberate move
Parker describes her decision to join Roland DG as intentional and values-driven.
“Roland DG has a rich creative heritage, but it also has a bold global vision. The opportunity to bring my experience in digital transformation into that environment – and to evolve the customer experience across ANZ – was compelling.”
She believes the wide format and creative production sector is at an inflection point.
“There is strong demand for digitally enabled creative production. Customers want faster turnaround, greater customisation, and integrated hardware–software solutions. Traditional production models are shifting, and our role is to support that transition.”
Her focus is to align innovation, customer experience and operational execution into a cohesive ANZ growth strategy.
“That means identifying high-potential segments, modernising how we go to market, and ensuring we are easy to do business with – for customers and partners alike.”
Shifting the mindset
Internally, Parker is encouraging a move away from siloed thinking.
“In today’s market, strategy, product, sales, marketing and service cannot operate in isolation. Every initiative must support the end-to-end customer experience.”
For Parker, that shift is about alignment and accountability.
“It means using customer insight to inform strategy, aligning teams earlier in the development cycle, and making data-informed decisions that improve speed-to-market.”
She is careful to distinguish between speed and haste.
“Modernising speed-to-market isn’t about rushing. It’s about clarity. It’s about simplifying internal processes, improving decision-making cadence, and leveraging digital tools so we can bring solutions to market with precision.”
In wide format, where turnaround time and reliability are commercial imperatives, that precision matters.
“Customers measure value in productivity. If we can reduce friction across the customer journey – from purchase to service – we strengthen their businesses.”
Growth in digitally enabled production
Looking ahead, Parker sees high-potential growth at the intersection of creative technology and digital enablement.
“There is significant opportunity in digitally enabled creative production, particularly in high-value verticals driven by short-run and on-demand output.”
As brands and print providers move towards customisation and faster production cycles, integration becomes critical.
“Customers are looking for connected ecosystems rather than standalone devices. That requires us to think holistically about hardware, software, service and support.”
Strengthening Roland DG’s partner ecosystem will also be central to that strategy.
“Our dealers and channel partners are an extension of our brand. By enhancing enablement, refining marketing alignment and improving the end-to-end journey, we unlock scalable growth.”
For Parker, channel alignment is not simply operational – it is strategic.
“When partners feel empowered and informed, the customer experience improves. That’s where sustainable growth is built.”
The role of data and automation
Data and automation will play a defining role in shaping Roland DG’s product and service roadmap.
“Data allows us to move beyond instinct. Usage patterns, performance trends and demand signals help us prioritise the portfolio and invest where it matters most.”
That insight strengthens both product development and customer support.
“It enables targeted innovation and more informed decision-making across ANZ.”
Automation, meanwhile, improves execution.
“It enhances consistency and operational efficiency, particularly across service and partner communication. By reducing manual friction, we allow our teams to focus on higher-value work.”
In a competitive digital market, Parker believes agility is essential.
“The industry is defined by reinvention. To remain relevant, we must combine innovation with operational discipline.”
Leadership through collaboration
While much of Parker’s focus is strategic, she returns often to the importance of people.
“It’s always the people who fuel innovation – the teams pushing boundaries, the partners translating ideas into reality, and the customers reimagining their businesses.”
For Roland DG ANZ, she sees the next chapter as one defined by collaboration.
“The future will be shaped not only by our heritage, but by our willingness to evolve and innovate. When innovation, alignment and customer focus come together, that’s when impact happens.”
And for Parker personally, that is the journey she is energised to lead.
This article was first published in the March-April 2026 edition of Print21, page 40.