Hard work, dedication and perseverance has truly paid off for Jennifer Thomson of Warwick. She recently became Automated Business Solutions first female Vice President in their 32-year history. She was named Vice President of Sales and Marketing in an announcement that caught her off-guard.

“I was surprised and honored,” Thomson said. “Not many people could surprise me here, since I have my hands in numerous departments and handled many presentations for meetings, but they surprised me.”

From her beginnings as a fresh-eyed, college graduate with a new job to someone who strives to make the company even better can be a lesson in achieving a goal.

Thomson began at Automated in 2005 as an Accounts Receivable Representative, collecting money from past due receivable accounts. Five years later, she was named Office Administrator. Before that, in addition to Accounts Receivable, she was gathering Meter Readings to bill contracts, billing all of the equipment deals, working with the lease companies on meters, and equipment funding.

She would acquire several more job titles and a firmer grasp of the business. Along the way, executives were guiding Jen through the company and showing her the inner workings of Automated Business Solutions.

“My ‘A-ha!’ moment would come as soon as I joined the Sales part of the business and seeing our portfolio of offerings grow, which meant we had more ways to help our customers save time in the office. That has been and still is intriguing to me. There are so many different ways for an office to run, and we can help with 99% of it!” Jen said.

She cites several people who helped her in this journey, but one person really gave her the direction needed to be successful.

“My biggest mentor of all time was and will always be (ABS Co-Founder and Former President) Alan Albergaria. He taught me so much about life, people, and business. He saw my potential, and continuously would push me to be all that I can be. He helped me through so many tough times in my life, and showed me the path of becoming a leader, friend, and a mentor. He believed in all of us and pushed us to be our best,” Thomson said.

Sadly, Albergaria did not live to see Jennifer reach her full potential. Alan was killed by a drunk driver while out for a walk on March 27, 2020.

“Although he cannot be here with us today, Alan would be proud of the work we have done over the past four years,” Thomson said.

In Jan 2023, Jen became their Sales and Marketing Director. She oversaw all sales going out, and managed two sales managers, her sales support team, and Marketing. She worked with the sales managers, to ensure that their team is growing their portfolios, and maintaining the customers they currently support.

Her staff produced. In 2023, they grew the business by about 8%, and she continues searching for ways for the reps to expand their talk track to think outside of the box(copier). Thomson said that type of forward thinking has its advantages.

“As more and more companies are moving to the cloud, and prints are going down, we are trying to push more workflow software to help our customers change how they do things in this new world, which will be a huge opportunity in the coming years,” she said.

Automated Business Solutions also launched their newest website in 2023, trying to have more informational blogs to help show what they offer and how they can help with office solutions for all types of businesses.

With the opportunity to find new frontiers to conquer, Thomson instead kept churning. She enjoys what she does and the people she works alongside.

“When I started, I knew a printer could print, but once I learned how it all worked, and how printers and copiers were such a strong part of business. I wanted to be part of the solution,” she noted.

ABS President Mike Ardry believes in the power of following a dream and seeing good people succeed.

“Jen is the classic American story. She has gone from a young single mom struggling to make ends meet, to being the mentor she is today. Jen accomplished all she has through her work ethic, commitment and a true caring for others.” Mike Ardry.

Outside of ABS, Jen is married, has a 20-year-old daughter, who is currently attending the University of Hartford, studying to become a psychologist. Jen is also a “green thumb”, caring for about 100 different plants! She loves the ocean and volunteering. She participated in the Gloria Gemma Flames of Hope for the past 10 years. She recently became the volunteer coordinator at their latest event in September 2023.

For over three decades, the Warwick-based Automated Business Solutions has experienced remarkable growth and success. This is a result of the company’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to its original vision.

Their mission is creating long- term partnerships by providing office technology solutions and IT managed services that improve client workflow, efficiency, and profitability.

Their vision Is to be New England’s office technology solutions and managed services provider of choice. From the local New England office to the National Fortune 500 company, our business philosophy and services offered reinforce our commitment to our customers, employees, and community at large.

They provide organizations with the ability to print, copy, scan, and access information effectively. Sales and Service Professionals work together to provide and support office solutions that maximize your company’s daily workflow and productivity related to document output and network communication. Their corporate office is located on 415 Kilvert St., and they also have offices in Connecticut, and throughout Massachusetts.