Wally Pabst
Wally has witnessed great change in the graphic arts industry over the past thirty-five years but has never lost sight of the promise he dedicated himself to from day one. Quality. He learned early on as a dot etcher in the mid seventies that quality pre-press requires uncompromising craftsmanship. Wally was dedicated to his craft and gained valuable exposure to many foundational techniques as he graduated through the ranks at Jan & Ollier. The workplace was his classroom and he soon took over leadership responsibilities for 90 employees in a $10 million company. He then moved to Seven Worldwide to take on budgetary and profitability responsibility as Director of Operations. His greatest task was migrating the practice from conventional, film-based process to a seamless, all-digital workflow.
As Director of Operations for Clutch Studios Wally managed the transition of fourteen employees and supervised the build-out of the studio from its existing shell. He manages the staff and is key in maintaining morale at the studio. He works with every department to ensure client satisfaction with respect to scheduling and quality expectations while working to optimize profitability through cost-conscious management. His seniority is very evident but it is not uncommon to see Wally pitching in wherever and whenever needed to make sure a project is delivered on time and on budget.
As a lifetime Chicagoan, Wally enjoys the many advantages the city offers his wife Jerri and their two children. He is also a new grandfather and as a die hard Cubs fan will no doubt enjoy taking his grandson to Wrigley Field in years to come. While some would argue that engraining your love for the Cubs in such a young child could cause serious long-term damage, Wally believes that next year could be the year…
