Leaving a positive lasting impression with someone can sometimes be oddly difficult. Far too often, one negative experience can cast a pall over all the others. But a general rule of thumb can help mitigate such instances.
In the case of Dan Donnelly, adhering to a famous quote by the late, great poet Maya Angelou—known for being a kind and gentle soul—has proven to be an impactful guidepost for interacting with team members, clients and really anyone in general. “At the end of the day,” she wrote, “people won’t remember what you said or did. They will remember how you made them feel.” Time and again, its impact as a universal truth is undeniable, one that has served him well.
“It serves as a reminder not to simply go through the motions, but to be intentional in my interactions,” said Donnelly, a 2026 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “Whether I’m working with a client, a colleague, or a team member, I try to make people feel valued, respected and supported. That lesson continues to shape how I lead and how I approach my work every day.”
A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Donnelly currently serves as the vice president of service at Applied Innovation, where he’s spent the better part of 15 years. He’d honed his IT skills during an 11-year stint with distributor S. Abraham & Sons. So when the Applied Innovation opportunity came along, copiers didn’t exactly strike him as cutting-edge technology.
Donnelly didn’t embrace that first impression for long. He began to understand the complexity of the solutions the dealer provides, as well as the instrumental role document technology assumes in driving customer productivity.
“I realized this industry is about much more than hardware,” he said. “It’s about solving business challenges, improving workflows and helping clients succeed. That realization is what made me feel like I had found the right place.”
Not quite six years ago, Donnelly was promoted to his current post. While excited about the opportunity, he wondered if the job would dovetail with his skills and experience, having served the previous six and a half years as Applied Innovation’s IT director. That reluctance vanished after Donnelly sat down with the outgoing service veep to discuss the transition.
It turns out, the opportunity was not the obstacle he’d envisioned. “[The VP] pointed out that I was already handling many of the role’s responsibilities,” Donnelly said. “That conversation was an important realization for me. It reminded me that we often underestimate our own readiness and focus too much on what we don’t know rather than what we have already accomplished.”
No Quo
The elevation has proven to be a rewarding experience for Donnelley. He loves to devise ways to improve the dealer’s service delivery. And he won’t hesitate to challenge the status quo as he seeks out opportunities to simplify work for clients and team members alike. It’s all about outcomes.
“Seeing an idea turn into a meaningful improvement, whether it’s a process change, a new tool, or a different approach, is both rewarding and motivating for me,” he added.
Donnelly confesses to being a methodical planner and his own biggest critic, always wanting to set the bar high when it comes to standards. He feels fortunate to have worked for managers who trusted him and provided the autonomy needed to learn through experience. That freedom, he said, cajoled him to never stop growing or developing.
He’ll continue to elevate his game by leveraging AI and automation to bolster that quest to simplify work and foster better outcomes. Donnelly has been fascinated by the quickening pace of the technology, its seemingly limitless applications and the potential for eliminating repetitive tasks, improving decision-making, and creating a better overall experience.
“I’ve always enjoyed finding new ways to improve service delivery, and I see AI as another opportunity to challenge traditional processes and achieve better results,” he said.
On the home front, Donnelly and his wife, Liz, have been married 18 years. They have a son, Brad, and grandchildren Travis and Skyla. Traveling is a passion of the Donnellys, with Ireland and Mexico standing out as being most memorable. While he is regarded as somewhat straight-laced by team members, Donnelly is known for his humor and joking nature at the homestead.
