Jeffrey Goldberg, vice president at EMC Corp.
Rob Cibik
By David Riley
The MetroWest Daily News (Framingham, MA)
Jan 14, 2008
A larger-than-life veteran marketing leader who is credited as the
creative force behind much of EMC Corp.'s booming success, having
trained literally thousands of the company's sales staff, died Sunday.
Jeffrey Goldberg, 60, a Framingham resident, worked at EMC since 1988,
most recently as vice president of customer programs.
"He shaped the culture of the sales force, really, from the growth
years," said Thomas Heiser, a senior vice president at the data
storage firm. "Anybody who's been with the sales force more than four
or five years knew and loved Jeff. It's a big blow to the team."
Goldberg fought a yearlong battle with cancer, said Ann Miller, his
longtime partner. He vowed often to beat the disease and had strong
faith, she said.
"He had a huge, huge kind heart for everybody," Miller said. "His
absence is palpable. Even when he wasn't in a room, his presence was
around."
Goldberg also is survived by his daughter, Rebecca, and her mother,
Sally.
He joined EMC as vice president for sales of its fledgling mainframe
computer storage division, according to the company. Under his
leadership and with his sales team, EMC became the leader in that
market.
In 1992, he was named vice president of marketing sales and developed
EMC's marketing programs across the globe.
"He was responsible for training the entire worldwide sales force for
EMC, thousands and thousands of people," Miller said.
Most recently, Goldberg was instrumental in creating and ran EMC's
Executive Briefing Center in Hopkinton, where he met major corporate
clients, Heiser said. Until recently, Goldberg also led the company's
annual kickoff meetings, developing its yearly themes.
He was not a stereotypical executive focused on the bottom line, said
Eileen Greene, EMC's former director of field marketing operations.
She said she collaborated with Goldberg for about 10 years in the
company's heyday.
"He was able to see things very clearly," Greene said. "In addition to
his own personal strength, he was a terrific organizational leader. He
put together a team that I was very proud to be a part of."
Through his charm and sharp ideas, Goldberg inspired employees to care
about the company and work toward higher standards, Greene said. He
was quick with mottos, often telling employees to "inspect what you
expect," and always had a story and tremendous wit, Miller said.
Goldberg also spoke often of the company's responsibility to the
families of EMC, Greene said. He quietly bought a portable DVD player
for an employee who had cancer so she could focus elsewhere during
chemotherapy, she said.
"Those kinds of random acts of kindness and caring were absolutely
part of who Jeff Goldberg was," Greene said.
Miller also called Goldberg humble, "very careful not to flaunt his
position."
Before joining EMC, the company said Goldberg spent 16 years at IBM,
also working at Cambex Corp. and IPL Systems.
Although a native of White Plains, N.Y., Goldberg was a major Red Sox
fan. Heiser said Goldberg, an avid saltwater fisherman, taught him the
sport and was there when he caught his first blue fin tuna.
Goldberg kept a boat in Gloucester and often fished off Cape Ann,
Miller said.
Even when sick in November, Goldberg attended a major black-tie event
in Boston, Miller said. When he sat down, she recalled, "everyone
swarmed around him, all of his EMC colleagues."
"For him, I'm happy because he doesn't have to struggle anymore,"
Miller said.
Funeral arrangements at Duckett Funeral Home in Sudbury were
incomplete yesterday. Miller said a memorial service is in the works.