The Family Business CEOs to Watch Class of 2023 recognizes 23 exceptional business leaders. The CEOs honored run the gamut of family business leadership, from entrepreneurial founders to fifth-generation stewards of a multifaceted enterprise to non-family executives trusted by the family ownership group to lead and expand their operations.
Paula Gamer
President and CEO | Second generation | Gamer Packaging, Minneapolis, Minn.
Paula Gamer has been involved with Gamer Packaging since1993, at first behind the scenes. After joining officially, in 2012 she was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of the company, which offers custom packaging solutions for a range of products and industries. She has been president since 2019 and added the CEO title in 2022, taking over that role from her husband, Kenny, who is now chairman and chief strategic officer.
“Going back to the first time I met Paula and her family, I’ve always sensed a true passion for taking care of the Gamer Packaging employees, personally and professionally,” says Jon Keimig, executive director of the University of St. Thomas Family Business Center. “Paula has led efforts to create a culture where colleagues find great joy working with each other and serving their clients, and many have been with the company for decades.
“Paula has helped make Gamer Packaging a noted top place to work in Minnesota, where employees are challenged to make a difference, are supported in doing so and have fun, with many opportunities to engage with each other outside of work.
“Paula is energetic, thoughtful and compassionate. She’s smart and curious, which I think is a fantastic combination for a leader, and with luck rubs off on other employees and her sons, who work in the company as part of the third generation.”
“It is my greatest honor and privilege to be leading my family’s business, Gamer Packaging — and this family business has turned into so much more than my father-in-law (our founder) could have ever imagined 36 years ago,” Gamer says. “Our once small family has grown into a family of 70 employees relying on Gamer Packaging to support their families and their dreams.
“The responsibility to our employees is what drives me every day, and I am passionate about seeing them and their families thriving. I like being around happy, fulfilled people! My family owes it to our family of employees to keep Gamer Packaging financially healthy and growing, while maintaining a fun and respectful environment where everyone enjoys coming to work. This must come first.
“I’m also thrilled that I can work alongside my two sons and demonstrate firsthand how this responsibility to our employees should drive decisions. If they ever question which path to head down, I hope they remember to take the path that is best for the company as a whole, as this will serve the interests of all our individual employees. A rising tide will lift all boats.”