Mike Boyle, Aussie Made and Barcelona Bound Digital Image Magazine sat down with HP’s Mike Boyle, who has recently been appointed as Global Head of Large Format Go To Market for the company, ahead of his move to the HP research headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. DIM: How did you end up in the Sign & Display industry? MB: I started twenty-five years ago in cut-sheet production print, where I stayed for about five years before moving into sales in large- format. It was an era when large-format was really starting to grow in Australia, both in technical drawings and graphics. I was with Océ, then Canon, and finally, I ended up in HP over seven years ago – I’ve certainly always been in the industry, and I find I am always drawn back to large format and sign and display. DIM: What does your new role involve, and what will your focus be? MB: I’ll be based in Barcelona at the HP Research & Development (R&D) headquarters, leading our Go To Market (GTM) strategy, and working with our HP team and HP channel partners around the world. As part of my role, I’ll also be working with service and operations to deliver on the needs of our customers whilst providing feedback to our R&D organisation. In this role, I will be staying close to our customers to ensure that we continue to listen and create the future with them. DIM: What’s your view of the future for large format, globally and locally in A/NZ? MB: I am really positive about our industry moving forward. Whilst the industry was challenged at the start of COVID, this very quickly turned into an opportunity as the needs of the market changed dramatically, developing solutions focused on health and safety and a number of other essential applications. Many of these applications are now commonplace post the peak of the pandemic. We are also seeing retail rebounding, and signage is an essential part of this marketing mix. Some customers have also developed new revenue streams in packaging, fine art and short-run labels and stickers. I also believe that large format will play an important role as we transition back to the ‘new normal’ in offices and retail. Corporations and SMBs are starting to focus more on creating inspiring meeting spaces to lure staff back to their offices, and retailers are upping the ante to get foot traffic. Large format applications can literally transform spaces, making them fun, vibrant, innovative and new. I am sure we are going to see a lot more graphics on walls and floors in the future and not to mention homes. 12 OCT/NOV 2022 Workflow efficiency will also be key in the future as many PSP’s are stretched with labour shortages whilst end customers want greater simplicity in working with print service providers. I believe that the industry will continue to see some big advancements in the next few years in this area. DIM: What excites you about the industry? MB: Most importantly I have made a lot of friends during my time in this industry and I have really enjoyed watching different customers business’ continue to grow. I have been proud to be part of their journey. In addition, the people in this industry are incredibly passionate about what they do and are always pushing the limits, which I love. Whenever I visit customers, they are always quick to show me something unique that they are working on for client and it is always amazing to see what people come up with. DIM: What would you say to graduates, TAFE students and apprentices considering a career in Sign & Display? MB: I believe graduates bring a fresh perspective and creativity for new applications, often things that get missed with more experienced staff. I would say to any graduate that they are joining a great community; they are becoming part of an important ecosystem. They will have the opportunity to see their ideas come to life in a multitude of ways. The industry is always about pushing the envelope to see what’s next, and they will be part of that, whether it’s in the application or in technology or materials. PacPrint was an example of this - with the sheer abundance of new technology and “outside the box” thinking - the display of new technology and thinking, such as rethinking workflows to accommodate sustainability, as one example - there is a lot to be passionate about. While Mike will be based in Barcelona, he will retain strong ties to Australia and New Zealand - not just through his work or his network as the MD of HP but also because his twin daughters plan on attending University locally.
