Alumni Profile: John Rebecchi
Current Position
Senior vice president of marketing and new business development at DISC, a leading producer of specialty packaging solutions for the beauty and personal care, entertainment and media, and healthcare markets located in Hauppauge, N.Y. For more than three decades, Rebecchi has helped grow DISC into an international company with $50 million in revenue.
Labelling Opportunity
When Rebecchi joined DISC in 1978 as an accountant, the company served as the in-house label producer for Pickwick International, at the time one of the largest U.S. retailers of LP albums, eight-track tapes, and cassettes. Pickwick was sold off in the early 1980s and control of DISC was offered to employees. Rebecchi jumped at the opportunity and partnered with two colleagues to become founding shareholders. Together, they explored new business opportunities in order to leverage DISC’s packaging strengths. “We realized that we couldn’t just keep making record labels,” Rebecchi says. His new role as head of a company also motivated him to pursue an M.B.A.
Practical Learning, Proven Results
Rebecchi attended NYIT-Long Island where he studied alongside other business professionals. He appreciated the practical, applied learning that his NYIT instructors instilled in every course. “This was not just classroom theory,” he recalls. “What my teachers taught me I was able to bring back to my job.”
After earning his M.B.A., Rebecchi created a business plan to attract investors; it resulted in an additional $5 million in funding. DISC also expanded into videocassettes, a natural extension of their entertainment business. As technology advanced, so did opportunities, which included the DVD and Blu-ray markets but also businesses outside the entertainment industry such as private label drug manufacturers. “We made sure to pick our battles and identify areas of growth where print would remain relevant and important. Success comes from the ability to adapt.”
The Touch Sell
DISC focuses on creating consumer experiences that impact multiple senses. The company works with a client to ensure a product’s visuals are consistent with its brand. But it also has to feel right. “We want a tactile experience that connects with the consumers and gets them to pick it up and put it in their shopping cart,” he says. One example is the packaging DISC created for the DVD boxed set of classic TV show Hawaii Five-0, which ran from 1968 to 1980. The 73-disc set includes a vibrant blue wave effect and packaging materials that feel like sea foam. Rebecchi has also overseen designs for DVD and Blu-ray sets for Star Trek, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, and other popular entertainment brands.
Packaging Success for Students
Rebecchi joined NYIT School of Management’s Business Advisory Board to help ensure that the school’s business courses give students the critical thinking, decision-making, and research skills needed for successful careers. “I’m a big believer in education and I like NYIT’s applications-oriented approach,” he says. “I’m ready to do whatever it takes to support a good cause.”
