PPB September 2019

Mi chae l La P l an t e T echnology is a part of branding that professionals need to get right. Remaining on the cutting edge of technology can place a business ahead of competitors, and sometimes, getting ahead of the pack is as simple as having a functional, clean website. Navigating the hi-tech sphere can be tricky, with its ever-changing nature and constant innovation. But if companies aren’t sure where— or how—to get started, Michael La Plante is prepared to help. La Plante is the lead front- end developer at Proforma, a distributor based in Cleveland, Ohio, with 650 member offices across the United States and Canada. Among other things, the company works with member companies to augment and streamline the integration of promotional products, along with commercial printing, business forms and ecommerce solutions. At Proforma, La Plante is responsible for remaining abreast of leading technologies to incorporate into existing processes, along with mentoring the development team, guiding them to grow both as individuals and developers. He also works closely with Application Development Manager Josh Young and Chief Technology Officer Brian Carothers “to drive decisions to place Proforma at the forefront of technology in the print and promotional products industry.” Having attended grade school in the ’90s, La Plante’s passion for technology sparked during a time of massive industry growth. The World Wide Web, HTML protocol and HTML language were first developed in 1990, web browser Netscape Navigator was launched in 1993, Internet Explorer in 1995, Microsoft’s Windows 95 became available in 1995 and email started growing in popularity, specifically Microsoft’s Hotmail. “I was just a kid who grew up in the age of technology and fell in love,” he says. La Plante now shares his passion and expertise with audiences nationwide, having led some 53 speaker sessions on topics ranging from front-end technologies to entrepreneurship, networking, working remotely, designer Where Tech Leads, Promo Follows Michael La Plante, Proforma’s lead front-end developer, shares his adoration for technology, its ever-changing current and the experience of when technology meets promo. by Danielle Renda 94 | SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECT