The Women in Print Awards: Elaine Scrima

Elaine Scrima
VP of Operations
GSP Marketing Technologies
Clearwater, Florida

Industry innovations: Took GSP from an almost-bankrupt P-O-P display company with old-school tech to cutting-edge inkjet digital PSP delivering 60,000 kits per month

Philanthropy: Krewe of Cavaliers member (supports Multiple Sclerosis Society, Children’s Home of Tampa, Children’s AIDS Foundation); supports Tampa AIDS network

Leadership roles: Oversees 400 employees across three facilities producing more than one million sign components per month

What are the current challenges facing women in print?
This question was really very thought-provoking, and I am sure it means something different to each person based on the experiences they have encountered throughout their career. I think the issues that faced women in print 10, 20, and even 30 years ago are still there, but what has changed is that opportunities now exist with more frequency to overcome them. The obstacles, while not removed, are smaller.

I think the wage gap is closing. Women are being considered for and getting positions that they never would have been considered for in the past. Technology has allowed women to be even more competitive, and we have seen a shift away from the physicality of many positions.

I honestly think the biggest challenge facing women in print is overcoming the confidence gap. You know you are good enough to be there; you have the same or better credentials as the next person, but there is still some self-doubt.

I feel fortunate that GSP has always had strong women in leadership roles, and so many of the above challenges that others may have faced, I really didn’t.

What would you say to a young woman who is interested in working in the printing industry?
This is one of the most all-encompassing, ever-evolving industries there is. No two days are alike. There are things we touch and see in our everyday lives that in some way, shape, or form, were produced or involved in our industry.

When we open a candy bar or Gatorade, unwrap a sub sandwich, read a magazine, see ads on the subway or on a billboard, all the labels, the packaging, the P-O-P signage, the digital displays, the marketing materials come from our industry. Whether you want to be part of the industry that produces those things or the industry that makes the equipment that produces them, there is something for everyone.

When I began in this industry 21 years ago, I never even knew this world existed. Now I can’t even envision myself doing anything else. When you look at the advancements that have been made over the past 20 years, I can’t wait to see what the next 20 bring. The opportunities are endless for enterprising and talented young women!

Meet the rest of our or for the 2017 Women in Print Awards.