Company: Toshiba America Business Solutions, Lake Forest, CA
Company Description: Toshiba America Business Solutions is a leading innovator of solutions empowering people to perform efficiently and effectively in their work environment. Serving professionals across the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America, Toshiba delivers secure and sustainable systems, services, and subscriptions to better print, manage, and display information.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications Professional of the Year
 Nomination Title: Rick Havacko
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominee since 1 January 2022, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominee: his or her history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 197 words used.
Rick Havacko is a national award-winning communications professional who directs Toshiba America Business Solutions' comprehensive communications program. These efforts enable Toshiba to surpass most of its competitors in positive editorial coverage. While leading the PR campaign for Toshiba Helping the Helpers Technology Makeover contest, he secured citations from 22 elected officials including governors, U.S. and state senators, state representatives and mayors to support winners’ ribbon-cutting events. Between July 2018 and June 2020, Rick simultaneously led communications for Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions leading to increasing favorable editorial coverage – including a feature story in The Wall Street Journal – for the company. While leading the campaign for personal computer company, eMachines, he successfully conveyed the organization's turnaround story to local and national media as well as market analysts. As a result, the company – previously viewed as an industry afterthought – was able to gain significant market share to become the No. 3 seller of PCs in the United States (according to the market research firm, IDC). By directing this campaign, Rick twice won the Silver Anvil Award, which is presented by the Public Relations Society of America and is the most prestigious national honor in PR.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the nominee's achievements since the beginning of 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Rick Havacko enables Toshiba to remain front and center within the B2B technology space by delivering consistent, timely and quality news to local, national and trade media and key market analysts. His efforts resulted in Toshiba appearing in more favorable editorial coverage than most of its competition. Including those with exponentially more market share. Owning about eight percent share of the multifunction printer market, Toshiba has secured a 14 percent U.S. share of voice – total editorial coverage – compared to its primary competitors since Jan. 1, 2022. This impressive share of voice percentage is better than industry heavyweights Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Kyocera, Xerox and Lexmark. Toshiba's coverage equaled 31 billion total readers during this time. Toshiba ad equivalency – the amount it would pay in corresponding ad space – relating to editorial coverage equals $58.55M. Since Jan. 1, 2022, Rick allowed Toshiba to dominate its counterparts in Brazilian editorial coverage and ad equivalency as the company netted a 98 percent editorial share of voice in Brazil. This equates to $47.28M if Toshiba were to advertise in these outlets. Rick was also responsible for publicizing 12 awards, which Toshiba people and products won since the beginning of 2022. He successfully submitted entries for five of these awards. Throughout the aforementioned period, Rick additionally placed Toshiba personnel in SHRM (four stories totaling 6.2M Unique Visitors Per Month UVPM), CIO (four stories totaling 500,155 UVPM), InformationWeek (1.8M UVPM) and Fox Business News (30M subscribers).
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Rick Havacko's achievements are unique and significant. Especially so since he is the sole corporate communications professional at Toshiba! Rick has led the company's internal and external communications since joining Toshiba in October 2012. He manages Toshiba's media and analyst relationships, executive and crisis communications as well as employee communications (bimonthly newsletter) for a workforce of more than 2,000. Rick's popularity with media and analysts is well-established as he was named a 2024 ENX Difference Maker. This honor recognizes his industry's best and brightest stars. According to The Cannata Report Editor-in-Chief Scott Cullen, "Rick has taken the time to get to know the industry trade press and does his best to proactively meet our needs. TABS is fortunate to have him on its team. I wish more corporate communications professionals would follow Rick’s lead." Most importantly, Rick's efforts are bolstering Toshiba's market standing. Such success correlates to the company's elevating editorial coverage. Featuring a 14 percent U.S. share of voice, which bests industry heavyweights Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Kyocera, Xerox and Lexmark, Toshiba's product, people and brand messages are resonating with the media and current and potential clients. Moreover, Toshiba's U.S. ad equivalency – the amount it would pay in corresponding ad space – relating to editorial coverage equals $58.55M since New Year's Day 2022. Throughout that time, Rick helped Toshiba dominate its competition in Brazilian editorial coverage and ad equivalency as the company netted a 98 percent editorial share of voice in Brazil.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 109 words used.
Attaching Toshiba's Competitor Media Relations report (courtesy of Cision)
Rick Havacko Difference Maker story
SHRM stories
Skills-Based Hiring Is Gaining Ground (shrm.org)
What’s the Best Way to Celebrate Employee Birthdays? (shrm.org)
How to Take a Data-Driven Approach to Employee Benefits (shrm.org)
Why Fewer Employers Are Requiring College Degrees (shrm.org)
CIO stories
7 ways to breathe new life into your IT leadership career | CIO
The new CIO playbook: 7 tips for success from day one | CIO
8 tips for finding meaning in your IT career | CIO
11 tips for crafting highly effective job descriptions | CIO
InformationWeek story
Attaching Fox Business News story
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