When Aaron Rallo joined PNI Digital Media in 2004 he already had experience in the photo industry, but he knew it was going take a lot more to grow the company the way he wanted.
“Even though the company was already public at the time, we had to go out and meet investors,” said Rallo. “We had to convince people to put their money in, we went through the whole thing.”
It obviously worked.
PNI operates photo-kiosk software and sells personal photo merchandise such as photos, photo books, personalized calendars and small-business stationary.
Rallo helped the company transform from a small, personalized product retailer to Canada’s fastest-growing public company as ranked by Profit magazine.
In 2008, PNI recorded more than $17 million in revenue. It works with large retailers such as Costco and Wal-Mart.
Rallo, who’s originally from New York, said his father’s furniture-and-appliance business had a big impact on him as a young man.
“I grew up working a retail sales floor so I loved business,” he said. “I loved selling, but I was a computer guy so I went to school for computer science.”
Rallo holds a bachelor of science degree in computer information technology from Rochester Institute of Technology. He did so well at it, he was hired by Fuji Film e-systems after he graduated.
From 1995 to 2003, Rallo was Fuji’s vice-president of web development and operations before he joined Microsoft’s digital imaging team in 2003 as a senior program manager.
Rallo said he was able to leverage the skills he learned at Fuji and Microsoft to help turn PNI into a success.
Now, in an effort to give back, Rallo mentors young entrepreneurs at Simon Fraser University’s New BC Venture Program.
“It’s great to go to a one-guy show and help him figure out how to take his technology and turn it into something that makes money.” •
