Home > Companies > Thought Leaders > Maegan Lujan, Director- Solutions and Services at Toshiba

Maegan Lujan, Director- Solutions and Services at Toshiba

Maegan Lujan, Director- Solutions and Services at Toshiba, is a strategist, storyteller, and leader on a mission to motivate and inspire others. With nearly two decades of industry experience, she has developed a dynamic background in executive management, marketing, and sales and business development that is highly technical with domain expertise in imaging, print, document, and content management.

Chase your curiosity! Identify what excites you, chase the sunrise pursuing that and go down as many rabbit holes as it takes to land where you want to be.



MEDIA 7: Congratulations on being listed as one of the ‘Top 100 Product Marketing Influencers 2020’! What inspired you to get into marketing?
MAEGAN LUJAN: My career path has really been an ever-evolving progression over the past 17 years. I originally started as a sales rep in this industry when I was 18 years old. I had SO many questions and a thirst for knowledge that I just couldn’t seem to quench. My curiosity grew as the years passed, and I transitioned from sales and business development type roles into marketing. I feel like it was a natural progression as I continued to evolve as a young professional.

There is a common stigma that marketing doesn’t understand sales, and therefore there’s a disconnect between what products are needed (the industry void you’re trying to fill) and what is actually pursued. As someone who spent nearly 10 years in a sales related capacity, I knew that I could bridge the gap between marketing and sales, and basically empower an entire corporation to be more effective than ever before. Today, I manage not only products that I bring to market, but also the overall solutions strategy across multiple channels and it’s pretty awesome!

M7: After the COVID-19 outbreak, the print industry had come to a halt for a brief period- people were working from home and businesses were going paperless. How did you manage to get the ball rolling post the threat?
MJ: That’s a fantastic question! In fact, this has been one of the busiest and most progressive years of my career and for our industry as a whole. Thankfully, Toshiba has a great executive leadership team. When events like COVID-19 arise, you have two options: be on the cutting edge of change or succumb to it. Being a distant memory is not Toshiba’s style, so we brainstormed and produced like never before! Empowering the remote
workforce became our highest priority. It was not easy; several 12 plus hour days and a lot of caffeine! We were stretched to our limits so to speak, and it was awesome.

In my entire career, I have never seen a group of people from all different walks (sales, marketing, operations, leadership) unify and produce such amazing results. Yes, COVID has affected our hardware sales, but our solutions and managed print division is up and producing like never before. Sometimes what appears to be a massive challenge is the best possible catalyst for positive change.


Research, learn, and overcome any self-doubt or imposter syndrome that you may have by just doing the workday in and day out.



M7: Given Toshiba’s target customers, what marketing channels do you use and which ones do you see as the most promising?
ML: Most promising… another great question. There is currently a tremendous amount of disruption in communication channels as businesses are virtualizing overnight and brands are desperately trying to establish an authentic touchpoint with their target audience. So I think in the upcoming year we will see a lot of diversification in how B2B brands use personalization in their social media marketing strategy. For example, as a consumer on all platforms I’m connected with, I have very specific and curated content hitting my feeds and influencing my buying behavior.

As an executive, I don’t see much of this in the B2B world. I believe we are going to see the tactics that worked for solopreneurs and entrepreneurs be upscaled and refined for the corporate B2B worlds.
At Toshiba, we are placing a heavy emphasis on our direct sales and resale channels from a content marketing and social media side. More now than ever, being relevant and connecting effectively with our target audience is crucial to our ongoing success. So we’re redefining our positioning, analyzing data like never before, and 100% focused on forging ahead to streamline our frictionless buying experience.

M7: How do you prepare for an AI-centric world as a Business Leader?
ML: Well, I can come at this from a few directions. I think we need to first ask ourselves if we consider AI to be a pro or a con. I’ve always believed the power of technology was to improve the quality of our lives and we get to determine how that happens. AI is another horizon for businesses that we are experiencing similar to decades ago when outsourcing for the purpose to reduce expenses became a trend. AI will simplify and automate a tremendous amount of manual tasks; it will reduce errors and provide value. As a Technology Leader, I understand it so I am less fearful and more optimistic as I foresee the abundance of opportunities that it provides.

I most commonly hear these types of questions asked and followed up with concerns around the ability to keep one’s job. As with any progression into new tech, there will be a shift in the types of jobs that arise. You should focus on cultivating the skillsets that computers don’t possess, and are based around intuition and emotion helping you manage the outcomes of non-binary tasks.

Let’s apply AI and the progression that technology can bring to something common like reporting the news. Basic reporting, world updates, weather, etc. can and will be automated by AI just like the flight trackers were at airports. Does this mean that news anchors will be displaced? I don’t think so. Storytelling is an art that people possess and tech does not.
However, just like the changes the business world has experienced with COVID-19, I think there will be an adaptation period separating those who can versus those that cannot adapt.  So if I was a journalist and wanted to future proof my career, I’d get into narrative writing (storytelling) that evokes emotion and connection in a way that the “programmed news” and tech won’t be able to in the not so distant future.


When you get into a particular function that doesn’t serve you or your future path, make sure that you maintain connection points and end all endeavors on good terms. Relationships in the tech world matter, and you need to think long term.



M7: What marketing strategies are you are looking forward to implement in 2021 and why?
ML: It's all about being intentional on social media; building, engaging, and retaining your target audience. It’s one thing to post random updates on social or create a new campaign, it’s another to identify a defined outcome and obtain it. And that is one of my goals. Personally, I’ll be getting into subscription-based thought leadership, video marketing, and SMS marketing. I have a message that I want to get out, a revenue target that I want to achieve, and a path forward to make the goal become reality. I’ve been testing the waters so to speak for about a year now, have identified what does and does not accomplish my desired results, and am currently executing the practices that yield success. It’s pretty exciting stuff really!

M7: In all these years, what has been the most challenging project that you are proud of pulling off?
ML: Oh man… I’d have to say launching my personal brand(s) while navigating the growth of my corporate career and an unprecedented shift in how the corporate world operates due to COVID-19. It’s been an insanely busy, trying, and rewarding year to say the least. Like most Virgo’s, when I embark on a project I go ALL-IN! As a marketing professional, I similarly tackled my personal brands to my career; identify a gap, define a goal, and research to the extreme. What I didn’t take into account at first, was just how much research this journey would entail. Several books, thousand of hours, and a million little clicks later, I feel like it’s all come together nicely. I could use a week-long nap, but hey… I had a dream and I’m making it happen!

M7: What is your advice to young women considering a career in high-tech?
ML: Chase your curiosity! Identify what excites you, chase the sunrise pursuing that and go down as many rabbit holes as it takes to land where you want to be. Research, learn, and overcome any self-doubt or imposter syndrome that you may have by just doing the work day in and day out. More importantly, when you get into a particular function that doesn’t serve you or your future path, make sure that you maintain connection points and end all endeavors on good terms. Relationships in the tech world matter, and you need to think long term.

ABOUT TOSHIBA

Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS) provides multifunction printers, managed document services and digital signage for businesses of all sizes throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The company’s award-winning e-STUDIO quality performance with the security businesses require. copiers and printers provide TABS provides content creation and management, displays, integration, installation and project management services as well as financing for solutions ranging from a single screen to the biggest arenas and stadiums. For additional information, please visit business.toshiba.com. Follow TABS on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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"Our partnership with GSI and SaskPower will bring great opportunities for Ocean Man First Nation, including employment and revenue that will provide stability and sustainability for our Band," said Chief Connie Big Eagle, Ocean Man First Nation. "We are proud that this project, which is able to generate clean power, will be known as Iyuhána Solar, which, in Nakotah translates to 'everyone' or 'all of us.' This is derived from our Nakotah belief that everyone and everything is related and therefore we must care for each other." While investment in renewable energy grows across Canada, Saskatchewan's clean power supply mix has predominantly consisted of hydro and wind. This is the first of many planned solar projects in the province; by 2035, SaskPower plans to support approximately 3000 MW of new renewable energy capacity in the region. "This new solar facility will play an important role in our path to net-zero by 2050 or sooner," said Rupen Pandya, SaskPower President and CEO. "We are proud of our ongoing collaboration with Indigenous peoples and the critical role they are playing in the successful expansion of renewable energy in our province." GSI is one of four renewable energy subsidiaries of Libra Group, a privately owned, global business group that encompasses 20 businesses in six sectors, including renewable energy, maritime, aerospace and more. The Group's renewable energy portfolio encompasses approximately 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of projects owned, developed, or pending development in 10 countries, including solar, wind, battery storage, and waste-to energy projects. This is the second partnership with an indigenous community led by a Libra Group subsidiary. "Libra Group is proud of this novel partnership, which has come together through shared values and a commitment to driving economic growth and positive outcomes for communities," said Libra Group's CEO Manos Kouligkas. "Sustainability is core to our global business, and we look forward to continuing to leverage synergies across our six sectors in 60 countries with agility and impact." Last year, GSI acquired Saturn Power Inc.'s solar and battery development portfolios, including its team of seasoned developers and an approximate 1.4-gigawatt (GW) pipeline of early- to late-stage solar and energy storage projects. Today, GSI has a footprint across Canada and in 12 U.S. states. About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of Libra Group. GSI is a renewable energy company focused on the development, construction, and operation of distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy and battery storage projects in North America. As of January 2024, the company developed approximately 388 MW DC across 71 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI and have an additional project pipeline of 1.6 GW. GSI's seasoned team has a proven track record of investing in power assets and partnering with multiple top-tiered investors. For more information on Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), visit: http://www.greenwoodinfra.com/ About Ocean Man First Nation The Ocean Man First Nation is a Nakota, Cree, and Saulteaux Band Government in southeast Saskatchewan. OMFN is led by Chief Connie Big Eagle & Council and features a population of 565 members. Ocean Man First Nation created a renewable energy company in 2019 called Second Wind Power. The name Second Wind Power reflects Ocean Man First Nation's history of relocating, re-establishing and starting over as a new community since 1989. About Libra Group Libra Group is a privately owned, global business group encompassing 20 businesses predominately focused on aerospace, renewable energy, maritime, real estate, hospitality, and diversified investments. With assets and operations in nearly 60 countries, the Group applies the strength of its global network and capabilities to deliver cross-sector insights and growth at scale.

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Agreement to Supply Federal Facilities in Three Southern States with 100% Carbon Pollution-Free Electricity

PR Newswire | October 26, 2023

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between GSA and Southern Company to develop carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) options for federal facilities in Southern Company's service territories. The MOU documents the intent of GSA and Southern Company to collaborate on development of a roadmap that, when executed, will lead to federal agencies in that region buying more CFE and achieving reliability and resiliency objectives outlined in Executive Order 14057 [lnks.gd]. The Biden-Harris Administration is leading by example to tackle the climate crisis through President Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan, which establishes an ambitious path to achieve 100% CFE for Federal government operations by 2030, including 50% on a 24/7 basis, along with aggressive goals for electric vehicles and net-zero emissions buildings. said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. This is our fourth MOU with a utility company and it's another example of how GSA is leading by example in tackling climate change, using our buying power and real estate footprint to move markets, create demand, drive efficiency, and catalyze efficiency and clean energy innovation. Through smart partnerships with energy service providers, we can help advance sustainability, create jobs, save taxpayer dollars, and ensure a healthier planet for our kids. [Source:PR Newswire] "Today's announcement delivers on President Biden's vision to build a new economy powered by clean energy—one that creates well-/paying jobs for American workers, healthier air for communities, and increases our energy independence," said Andrew Mayock, the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer with the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Southern Company has a goal to reach a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, from 2007 emissions levels, and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Currently, the United States Army is the largest federal customer served by Southern Company. "The Department of Defense and the Army are committed to using carbon-free energy to support our national defense mission," said the Honorable Rachel Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of the United States Army, Installations, Energy and Environment. "Distributed Carbon-free energy generation–when integrated into a modernized grid that includes large-scale storage, upgraded transmission lines, and enhanced cybersecurity controls - is the best way to promote resilience so we can continue to deploy, fight, and win the nation's wars. The Army applauds the GSA-Southern Company agreement. The agreement demonstrates the exact kind of collaboration that is key to improving the reliability and resilience of the commercial grid and achieving our carbon-free energy and readiness goals." "Southern Company recognizes the importance of developing and supplying carbon-free electricity as we continue our efforts toward our goal of reaching net zero by 2050," said Chris Womack, CEO and president of Southern Company. "Through industry-leading innovation and a commitment to a net zero future, we are delivering sustainable and resilient energy solutions that help drive growth and prosperity. This partnership will serve as another important step toward these goals." GSA will continue to engage with Southern Company and other utilities to explore the advancement of potential CFE solutions including solar, battery storage, nuclear power, on-site generation and new sustainable technologies like clean hydrogen.

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