What do you feel contributed to your preparation in becoming CEO of Vertis Communications?
High expectations, formal education, mentors and hands-on work experiences have served as key building blocks to ready me for the position of CEO.

At an early age, my parents instilled in me the need to not only excel, but to be the very best. My parents’ expectations of their children were shaped by growing-up in the South during a time of racial divide. Their desire for change set a solid foundation for my future successes.

The Engineering College at Northeastern provided an excellent technical foundation in Engineering and fostered my life-long pursuit of innovation, problem solving and out of the box thinking. Earlier in my business career, I was fortunate to be entrusted with a myriad of operational assignments that spanned product management, marketing, customer service, strategy, and P&L management. Most importantly, I had an opportunity to collaborate with and learn from people who I consider to be tremendous leaders. Without question, they helped me develop my leadership style.

Another key learning is the importance of becoming well-versed in both technical skills or “hardware,” as well as the interpersonal skills or what I call the “softer-ware” necessary to be effective when collaborating with and managing people. I think we spend a lot of time on what I call the “hardware,” such as the domain knowledge in marketing or engineering. Instead, I believe we need to consider the “softer-ware” knowledge, including leadership skills, people management and building our emotional intelligence quotient.

As noted above, I’ve always been a very driven, results-oriented person. But I realize that not everyone is wired that way and I need to help people self-actualize and connect their passion with their work life. A good leader, like an Olympic coach, needs to inspire and get the most out of every employee in the organization. That’s what I strive to do everyday at Vertis Communications.

In the end I would say that I’m a perpetual learner who enjoys helping customers solve critical business problems. With all the exciting opportunities ahead at Vertis and the way the business of marketing and communications is evolving, I’m definitely in the ideal role at just the right time in my career.

How would you describe your Northeastern University undergraduate engineering experience academically, professionally and personally? What stands out most when reflecting back?
Northeastern’s engineering program is among the most rigorous and I appreciate the challenges that were presented to me as an undergrad. Through the program, I experienced the real life day to day challenges of what everyone must face as we embark on a career in engineering or other continuously advancing field of study.

How critical was the co-op program to your overall success and why or why not?
I graduated in 1982 which was a year of economic downturn, much like today’s challenging marketplace. Jobs were scarce. My co-op experience put me head and shoulders above my fellow engineering graduates because I had two years of practical work experience. I used it to leverage several job offers in a tough economy. My advice to students is to ensure you are getting relevant experience with your co-op assignments because they will impact your career decisions.

As you look back over your career, any advice for future Northeastern students?
Northeastern’s focus on combining classroom experience with real world experience is invaluable. I encourage students to try as many things as you can as young as you can. We all have to determine two things when selecting our career paths. First, we have to determine what we are passionate about. Second, we have to determine what we are good at. The perfect career is when these two things are aligned.

The John D. O’Bryant African American Institute provides services to help students to achieve academic excellence and build community. How does this mission align with you your personal and professional goals?
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of traveling and collaborating with people across numerous cultures and educational levels. I understand the importance and solid contributions from a diverse workforce. I believe it is important to support educational opportunities for minorities because consumers are increasingly more global-minded and multicultural. An educated and diverse workforce benefits corporations and our country.

Quincy was appointed CEO of Vertis Communications in 2009 and is responsible for the strategic direction of the company. Prior to Vertis, Quincy was with Xerox Corporation for 27 years. Allen earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern University.