Employee Spotlight: Anna Jacobs

Anna Jacobs is back. Growing up in Rochester Hills, Michigan, Anna spent over 15 years living and working in New York City before returning last year to join AMT as an Account Manager and help launch the company’s Aftermarket Service Support program.

“Anna is an outstanding member of the AMT team who brings a wealth of experience to the table, with a unique combination of skills in sales, marketing, and high emotional intelligence that is a rarity in our field,” said Craig Salvalaggio, President at AMT. “What sets Anna apart is her natural ability to read the room and dive headfirst into uncharted territories. She has a genuine curiosity and a hunger to learn, often comparing learning the automation space to learning a new language, where mastering the terminology takes time and patience. Anna brings a fresh perspective to every project, challenging us to see things from a different angle. Her contributions have been invaluable, and we're grateful to have her on the team.”

Working together with industry veteran, VP of Sales Scott Kilpatrick, Anna aids clients in understanding and running their automation system as part of AMT’s Aftermarket Service Support program. This initiative provides clients with support in many areas, including preventative maintenance, monitoring the wear of parts and proactively identifying what may soon need replacement. The Aftermarket Program team helps clients navigate production challenges, such as the current supply chain issues, by recommending a comprehensive list of spare parts to have on site to minimize downtime.

“It was a great time to come on board at AMT under Scott Kilpatrick’s leadership. He has a wealth of industry experience and has been a wonderful mentor, helping me learn the business and launch the Aftermarket Program,” said Anna. “With the current labor shortages U.S. manufacturers are experiencing, it’s rewarding to be a part of the solution. We help our clients keep producing so that people like you and I can have products on our shelves. That’s a simple thing that we take for granted and our team is contributing to keeping production lines running.”

For the 15+ years prior to her move back to Michigan in 2022, Anna lived and worked in New York City. The pace and demands of a career in “the city that never sleeps” are unrelenting. Anna met the challenges face on. Early on, she worked three part-time jobs at once, determined to establish her career. She also exercised her creative skills as an Art Director at an advertising agency and then transitioned to focus on the restaurant industry. Anna ran operations at two high-volume restaurants with demanding owners, staff, and clientele: one in NYC’s Chelsea Market and the other near Madison Square Garden. In that capacity, she taught herself Spanish to better lead the team. Later, she accepted a new opportunity and moved into equipment and supply sales for the commercial food service industry. In that role, she not only sold everything from napkins and flatware to turnkey commercial kitchen systems but also assisted operators with the design, specification, and installation supervision for restaurants, five-star hotels, and even a public university culinary program.

Anna is grateful that her parents have always been encouraging and supportive. They mentored her both personally and professionally. In her professional journey, former manager Heather Kogan was also a mentor, helping her learn sales skills and better understand the customer journey. “Heather is a smart saleswoman. She started her sales career at a young age, and I learned from one of the best. Great managers lift others up.” And true it is – Anna rose to the top salesperson for kitchen smallwares, led the sales team in growth, and helped develop the company’s Brooklyn territory sales distribution.

What made Anna leave a job and city she loved to return to her roots in Michigan? “I have wanted to work with my father, founder and current CEO of AMT, for a long time, so that was one of the main drivers for me in making the move,” she said. “It’s an exciting time in the industry with all the recent advancements in automation and technology. Our plant floor is full, our capacity is booked – what a great time to learn from the exceptional team we have here.”

Anna’s background and education have played a crucial role in her career path. She earned a B.A. in advertising from Michigan State University. Anna went on to attend Miami Ad School (M.AD) in Florida, a school dedicated to advertising, marketing, professional creativity, and strategic planning where she developed a professional portfolio focused on art direction and copywriting for advertising.

Anna once again lives in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this time with her beloved dog, Rufus. When she isn’t at work, Anna loves to travel and has visited many countries, most recently Serbia, Greece, and India. While traveling, Anna enjoys immersing herself in the cultures of the places she visits, using local transportation and eating traditional food to have an authentic, immersive experience.

In her free time when she isn’t traveling, Anna enjoys several hobbies, including swimming, art, and yoga. Although she’s no longer in the food industry, Anna still has a passion for it. She finds pleasure in cooking for her loved ones and exploring new restaurants. In addition to her culinary pursuits, Anna enjoys reading mystery novels and business books – sharing her father’s passion for reading and lifelong learning.

When asked what she likes best about working at AMT, Anna said, “I love the team’s passion and collaborative style of problem solving. Every individual brings something unique to the table.”