Europe - Radio Active Designs CTO James Stoffo has announced the appointment of Jim Bakker to the position of EMEA sales and technical support director.
Bakker is based in France and will manage the sales and distribution of Radio Active Designs products throughout Europe as well as the Middle East and Africa. Well known for his sales representation and strategic consulting capabilities, Bakker will spearhead efforts to increase sales and distribution for Radio Active Designs UV-1G wireless, analogue intercom systems as well as the company’s catalogue of wireless intercom accessories.
"Radio Active Designs is fortunate to have someone with Jim's experience championing our products in the region," explains Stoffo. “We are excited to have him on our team and are confident he will contribute greatly to the company's growth world-wide."
Bakker, who is also the sales and technical support director for Lectrosonics, started his wireless sales career as the north and western Europe sales manager for AKG in the early 2000s and has been a strong supporter of Lectrosonics since 2009.
"Radio Active Designs wireless intercom represents a terrific sales opportunity for our organisation," Bakker adds.
(Jim Evans)

Spain - Chauvet has announced that Jose ‘Alberto’ Barja has been appointed as its business development market specialist for Spain.
Barja brings extensive experience in many facets of the entertainment lighting industry to his new position, having worked for 20 years in executive positions at manufacturers Traxon, Osram and Siemens, as well as at the distributor Stonex, Bofill & Asociados.
At Chauvet, he will be working closely with the company’s Spanish distributor ACSON and Jon Petts, the company’s brand development manager for Western Europe.
“The addition of Alberto to a team that already includes Jon Petts and Goran Donic, business development manager for Western and Eastern Europe, greatly strengthens our position in this market,” said Stéphane Gressier, Chauvet’s international sales director. “Alberto brings a depth of knowledge about lighting to this position, and I’m confident our customers in Spain will find him to be a valuable resource.”
Barja adds, “Like many people, I have been impressed not only by Chauvet’s rapid growth, but with how it has managed this growth so it continues to maintain the highest quality standards. I share the same values and commitment to customer service as Chauvet, so I am very excited to grow with the company.”
(Jim Evans)

Europe - d&b audiotechnik has announced the appointment of Alain Richer to serve as managing director in France, succeeding Didier ‘Lulu’ Lubin who retired in September having founded d&b France in 2000. In his new role Richer will be responsible for all aspects of business and market development of d&b in France as well as the day-to-day operations throughout the country. He will report to Phill Coe, territory manager, EMEA.
Richer comes to d&b from Sennheiser where he held the role of European marketing director. Commenting on his appointment Richer stated, “Throughout my career in the professional audio industry, I’ve always had deep respect for d&b’s commitment to quality and industry leading acoustic technology. I look forward to being part of d&b Group and lead the team that will create the next phase of growth in France.
“In the past four years we have more than doubled our market share in France,” continued Coe. “As we enter the next phase of our development, with the strong local team now led by Alain, we are well positioned for further growth.”
Group CEO Amnon Harman said, “France is a key strategic market for d&b and an integral part of our international growth plans. We are committed to support our local customers with our own subsidiary and will further expand our operations in this key market. I’m confident that Alain’s personality and drive as well as his professional audio and local market knowledge make him uniquely qualified for this role.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - Gobos, colour filters and lighting manufacturer Apollo Design Technology has appointed Paul Cook as production technician and Ashley Gladin and Chance Parker as customer care representatives.
Avid Labs, a sister company to Apollo Design has announced the appointment of new engineers, Josh Thomas, and Andrew Trenton.
Paul Cook holds a diploma in Graphic Design from the International School of Business, and a B.A. in Social Studies from Tri-State University. “We appreciate Paul’s work ethic and willingness to help out wherever he is needed,” states Keersten Nichols, president of Apollo Design. “With 17 years at Apollo in the Art Department as Graphic Artist, we look forward to Paul’s contributions in Production.”
Ashley Gladin is a graduate of New Albany High School in southern Indiana. “Ashley works with most of our AV dealers and is a key component on our team,” explains Brandi Hite, customer care manager.
Chance Parker is a graduate of Indiana University Purdue University. “With Chance’s theatre background, he will build strong dealer relationships,” adds Hite. “His dealer base is mostly West Coast, which means he will serve the West Coast time zone requests and questions.”
(Jim Evans)

USA - Powersoft has appointed industry veteran Tom Knesel to the position of general manager, North America. Knesel, who will be located at the company’s US headquarters in Kearny, NJ and who will start on 7 October, will report directly to Luca Giorgi, sales & business development director, Powersoft. The announcement follows the successful relocation of Powersoft’s North American headquarters two years ago, and coincides with the company’s increased focus on the systems integration market and launch of the Mezzo amplifier platform earlier this year.
“We are very pleased to welcome Tom into the Powersoft family,” commented Luca Giorgi. “Two years ago, we began a significant restructuring of our U.S. operations, which included relocating our headquarters to the east coast, hiring new operational and sales staff, and realigning our entire North American sales rep network. Having successfully completed these tasks, we are perfectly positioned in this region for sustained growth and net new revenue opportunities.”
Before joining Powersoft, Knesel was regional business development manager, Americas, for MUSIC Tribe and responsible for driving revenue and managing the Americas for the company’s commercial audio brands - including Midas, Klark Teknik, Lake, Lab Gruppen, TC Electronics, Tannoy and Turbosound. Prior to that, Knesel spent several years in the manufacturer, design and systems integration markets
Luca Giorgi, who has served in a dual role for Powersoft as GM, North America and sales & business development director for

USA - Fulcrum Acoustic has announced the appointment of loudspeaker designer Kirk Lombardo to its expanding engineering team. An industry veteran, Lombardo has experience in professional and consumer audio, working with companies including Electro-Voice, Altec Lansing, and Velodyne. In addition to his design work, Lombardo has worked in other roles including product management and contract manufacturer/supply chain management.
“We are happy to have Kirk join our team,” comments David Gunness, Fulcrum's CTO. “We have many product and technology goals established for the next several years. Experienced staff like Kirk are essential in bringing those to market.”
“I'm thrilled to have this opportunity,” adds Lombardo. “I've known David since we worked together at Electro-Voice. I look forward to working together again as part of the Fulcrum team.”

Denmark - Pascal’s CEO and co-founding director Lars Rosenkvist Fenger has been shortlisted for an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award.
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is a unique global program that recognizes entrepreneurial achievement among individuals and companies that demonstrate vision, leadership and success - and work to improve the quality of life in their communities, countries and around the world.
Fenger and Pascal are nominated in the Copenhagen region, home to over half the country’s commercial enterprizes. In less than 10 years the company has risen from a start-up to rank among the kingdom’s top 0.07% highest performing companies, in the process becoming the number one supplier of amplifier electronics to the pro-audio industry.
The EY award program focuses on spotlighting the world’s most successful and innovative entrepreneur led company’s where leadership and vision continue to make the difference.

UK - Shure UK has appointed Giuseppe ‘Peppe’ Mallozzi to its UK pro audio team.
Mallozzi will work with new and existing customers and build brand awareness in the concert touring, theatre and broadcast markets. He joins Shure UK after eight years at Autograph as technical sales engineer, where he was responsible for large-scale wireless projects across the UK and wider entertainment industry.
“I am very excited about my new venture at Shure UK, a company of which I have worked with for many years,” says Mallozzi. “I look forward to working with customers in London and the South and developing new relationships in an industry I am proud to be a part of.”
Stuart Moots, associate director, pro audio at Shure UK, adds: "Peppe's knowledge and experience make him an ideal fit for this role. As a trusted face within our industry, he is able to hit the ground running. With the right team in place, we are now ideally positioned to continue our growing success in theatre and broadcast, while also leading the way in touring and live events. The future looks bright for Shure UK pro audio."
(Jim Evans)

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has announced the appointment of well-known industry figure Dave Ball in a newly-created audio sales executive role.
Joining AC-ET’s specialist audio division, Ball’s primary focus will be on developing business for the Dynamic Audio Device (D.A.D.) professional audio brand, which is exclusively distributed in the UK by AC-ET and in the ROI by sister company, AC-ET Ireland.
Operating out of AC-ET’s Northern sales office in Leeds, he will spend most of his time on the road visiting clients and carrying out product demonstrations. Ball will also represent AC-ET’s other key audio lines, as well as complementary services such as Tourflex Cabling custom cable assembly.
Ball previously held technical sales and business development roles for speaker brands and pro-audio distributors including RCF, Polar Audio, LMC and KV2 Audio, as well as running his own PA rental business for 12 years.
Peter Butler states: “I’m delighted to welcome Dave to AC-ET’s audio sales division. With his wealth of knowledge and experience in the professional loudspeaker market, along with his huge passion for audio as a user himself, Dave is well placed to develop the Dynamic Audio Device brand and provide first class service to our audio customer base.”
(Jim Evans)

Italy - Claypaky has announced the appointment of Marcus Graser as the new CEO of the company. He replaces former CEO Pio Nahum, who is retiring on 1 October after 30 years in the lighting industry, the last 10 spent at the Italian lighting manufacturer.
Graser, 42, is an experienced Osram executive who has spent the past 15 years in a variety of roles at the organisation, most recently as head of business development and innovation for entertainment. When Osram acquired Claypaky, Graser led the Osram side of the integration. He has been Nahum’s designated successor, working closely with the former CEO since the start of 2019.
"I am proud of having become the new CEO of Claypaky and to oversee the exciting progress we anticipate in the years to come,” comments Graser. “I feel however that this is the right time to express on behalf of an entire Claypaky community, our sincere gratitude to Pio Nahum for his excellent contributions as well as pragmatic, visionary and passionate leadership that allowed the company to achieve important results.”
Nahum adds: "I am glad to hand my responsibility over to Marcus; we have been working together since January and he has acquired a perfect understanding of our organisation, our market and our business. I am confident that Marcus will carry out his new assignment with the utmost professionalism, enhanced by the enthusiasm and innovative attitude that are part of his personality.”
(Jim Evans)

France - Lighting solutions manufacturer GLP has appointed Bruno P. Souchaud to head up its newly-formed subsidiary, GLP France.
Souchaud has nearly three decades’ experience in international show lighting, including three years with the French GLP distributor, LA BS.
GLP board member Kasper Gissel comments: “We are fortunate to have the services of such a lighting industry veteran as Bruno. The move will bring us closer to our customers and key LD’s. GLP has been specified by French LDs for many years, and previously we have done business directly with the major rental houses in France. So the timing is perfect for GLP to put a more solid structure in place and to further increase our presence in the market.”
Bruno says he is relishing the new challenge. “When Udo [Kuenzler], Kasper and the GLP team set out to emulate the formula that had worked so well for the UK and Nordic countries, I jumped at the chance, especially given the exciting launch of the Fusion range. I wouldn't have moved for a copycat brand or a brand without GLP’s level of creativity and innovation.”
GLP France will initially operate from Bruno P. Souchaud’s office in Aulnay-Sous-Bois on the suburbs of Paris, close to Roissy CDG airport.
(Jim Evans)

Europe - Harman Professional Solutions has announced that Hamid Soufian has been appointed vice-president and general manager of EMEA.
Soufian brings more than 18 years of experience in the Harman organisation to his new role.
“We are pleased to welcome Hamid Soufian to this key leadership role as we continue to improve and strengthen the Harman brand worldwide,” comments Mohit Parasher, president & EVP, Harman Professional Solutions. “We are excited to have someone with Hamid’s expertise to help us grow and bolster our relationships with our valued partners in the EMEA region.”
Prior to his new appointment, Soufian was the VP and GM responsible for multiple European automotive customer accounts forging new relationships and enhancing existing partnerships with the OEMs.
“I’m extremely honoured by this appointment and will be working diligently to establish and strengthen long-term partnerships with our distributors and customers across the EMEA region,” says Soufian.
(Jim Evans)

UK - During the PLASA Show, L-Acoustics founder and president Dr Christian Heil was announced as the winner of the 2019 Gottelier Award, as voted for by his peers. Named in memory of Tony Gottelier, the renowned industry innovator and commentator, this annual award recognises product developers who have made significant long-term contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology.
Heil founded L-Acoustics in 1984, and the introduction of the V-DOSC line array system in the mid-1990s led to a fundamental shift in the live sound market, and line array systems proliferated for the next decade and a half. Still, Heil and L-Acoustics continue to refine the line array concept: the KIVA ultra-compact system came to market in 2008; the K1 system - seen as the long-awaited successor to the ground-breaking V-DOSC - debuted in 2009; the KARA modular line source system followed in 2010; and the K2 system in 2014. More recently, L-ISA’s comprehensive multichannel audio architecture has impressed with its ability to bring immersive audio to live performances in venues with capacities of 100 to 10,000 or more.
On receiving the award, Heil comments: “I am very proud to receive the Gottelier award, both as an individual but also on behalf of the whole L-Acoustics team who have accompanied me for 35 years now. I am especially happy that this award is given to someone that represents and contributes to the evolution of the sound industry. To my knowledge, the last time the Gottelier was awarded to a fellow sound luminary was in 20

USA - Fulcrum Acoustic has appointed Chaz Goodman as marketing manager. Goodman will focus on expanding the online presence for Fulcrum Acoustic and will serve as the media contact.
He joins Fulcrum from the non-profit world, most recently as the Communications Manager for Volunteers of America Upstate New York, where he designed and implemented a comprehensive communications plan to increase brand visibility and help the organization adapt to fit a changing digital landscape. Prior to that, Goodman worked in development at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago where he learned the value of targeted marketing to achieve fundraising goals.
"We are excited to bring Chaz on board," says Stephen Siegel, president and co-founder of Fulcrum Acoustic. "It's important that we focus resources into content creation for electronic media. Chaz's experience as a musician and content developer makes him a great fit."
"It can be difficult to capture attention when your audience is constantly over-stimulated with the sheer amount of information online," says Goodman. "Fortunately I'm in a good position because Fulcrum Acoustic has such a novel product line. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work for such an innovative company."
(Jim Evans)

Germany - Udo Stoof, has joined the dBTechnologies Deutschland team. Stoof has many years of experience in audio and AV media technology and strengthens the Cologne-based company, joining the team for fixed installations to meet the enormous demand and to offer customers even better service. Working as project manager installed sound, he supports customers who plan and realise installations with equipment of the brands RCF and dBTechnologies alike.
Stoof has worked for manufacturers and distributors for over 25 years plus running his own company.
At dBTechnologies, he together with Georg Hofmann, who has been responsible for fixed installations for years, are forming a new team that will focus on this business area. Part of the strategy is also the spatial spin-off of the fixed installation division. Both colleagues will work from a joint office in Telgte, North Rhine-Westphalia, which will be opened in the next few weeks.
"We are very pleased to have Udo, a proven specialist with many years of experience, joining our company. Expanding the team for fixed installations and establishing it at a central location is an important and strategic decision for us. We are experiencing increasing demand from this sector, and we see enormous potential for our company to grow in the future," says Arne Deterts, managing director at dBTechnologies Deutschland.
"For me, it is a desirable task to further develop the fixed installation business unit at dBTechnologies Deutschland. The products of the two manufacturers are convincing, both technically and from t

UK - ADJ has announced the expansion of its UK-based sales team with the recruitment of Ryan Mattin who will serve as ADJ UK’s new southern sales rep. Ryan’s focus will be developing new business in the south of England as well as providing sales support to existing ADJ dealers.
Having worked in the audio and lighting retail industry for over 10 years, as purchasing manager for Audio Visual Commodity, Ryan has a keen interest in entertainment technology.
“Working for ADJ has been a dream of mine for quite a while, so it really is a pleasure to now be representing the company in the south of England,” says Ryan. “With an ever-growing product range for any size event, I am excited to be on board and part of this great team.”
Ryan has already begun his new role and is out on the road meeting customers and demonstrating the latest new ADJ products, with his first appearance being at the PLASA Show (15-17 September) at Olympia, London. He can be contacted via ryan.mattin@adjgroup.eu
“I have known Ryan for a number of years and am pleased to have him join our sales team,” added ADJ UK’s national sales & marketing manager, Kris Dawber. “Bringing technical knowledge and valuable market insight, I’m sure he’ll prove to be a great addition to our sales team in the UK. With exciting new products to introduce to the market – including the Hydro Series of IP65-rated moving head fixtures – ADJ is enjoying significant growth in the event production sector and with Ryan onboard this is definitely set to continue.”
(Jim

USA - Fane International and sister company Precision Devices have recently recruited Alexander Schek in the role of sales and business development manager, LATAM to support their on-going global growth strategy.
Based in Miami, Florida, Alexander has an understanding of the Latin American market, business culture and executive level sales experience along with a passion for all things audio and technology. Working for high-profile companies, including almost a decade in charge of Latin American business with Sennheiser.
Says Schek, “I am humbled to be part of the Fane/PD Family and their passion to embrace the Latin America market. The market is eager to welcome such prestigious brands, rich in history and heritage in sound engineering excellence.”
“We are delighted to welcome Alexander as a member of the team,” says Mark Barnes, Fane/ PD managing director. “Alexander occupies a new position which we have created specifically to bring us closer to audio professionals and enthusiasts in Latin America.
“We intend to increase the presence and visibility of both Fane and Precision Devices brands in countries across the region. Alexander brings a fresh perspective, wealth of experience and expertise to leverage our efforts. Expect to see an exciting future for Fane and Precision Devices in Latin America.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - Peex, the company behind an app platform that enables concertgoers to mix audio from live concerts in realtime, has announced Patrick Vosgimorukian as its new CEO. With a background working with next generation tech companies, Vosgimorukian will be leading Peex into the next phase of its launch plan.
Vosgimorukian will be assisting the team in developing the business and identifying opportunities for the product to be scaled following its recent success in both the US and Europe where Peex was launched on Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
Vosgimorukian boasts considerable experience working within the tech and entertainment industries. He comments: “It is an absolute privilege to be named Peex’s new CEO. It is an exciting time to join the company following the successful commercial launch in the US and Europe. The goal of Peex is to enhance the live sound experience and the potential for this technology is enormous.”
Pieter Hamelink, co-founder and executive chairman of Peex, adds: “We welcome Patrick to our growing team and are excited for the wealth of experience and expertise that he brings along with him to Peex.”
Peex is currently available to the public on Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. It enables music fans to create their own enhanced five channel mix of the live concert sound.
(Jim Evans)

UK - ETC has hired Matt Cowles as field project coordinator for its London office.
Cowles will provide technical sales and manage projects across the country, be responsible for sales arrangements of key accounts in this region, and support regional sales manager, Jeremy Roberts in working with ETC and High End Systems’ dealers, distributors and customers.
A familiar face in the UK with 17 years of experience working in the industry, he joins the company from Ambersphere Solutions where he worked in technical sales for seven years. As key account manager, Cowles was responsible for numerous product lines and the development of the business with a focus on theatre. Prior to this, he worked in the live events sector with UK-based dealer Stage Electrics in the role of business development manager.
Regional sales manager Jeremy Roberts comments: “We are delighted to have Matt on the team. His knowledge, experience and contacts in the industry makes him a valuable resource to ETC and our customers. We look forward to working together and continue expanding our offering across the UK.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - Lauren Drinkwater has joined TMB’s Global Customer Development Group. Lauren arrives with an extensive background in sales, support, and business management in the entertainment technology and production field. Drinkwater’s role at TMB is to build customer relationships, increase awareness of TMB’s products and service, and directly assist TMB’s European distribution partners. She will be based out of TMB’s UK office and will be at PLASA 2019.
Drinkwater brings years of experience to her new role at TMB, including management at City Theatrical, sales at Martin Professional, and accounts management at Sound Technology.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the European arm of TMB’s global presence,” she says. “I’m particularly excited about TMB’s emphasis on long-term personal interaction with top-flight professional companies. To this end, my experience in growing accounts and providing maximum service fits well with TMB’s relationship-based business model. I look forward to us achieving great things together.”
“We’re very excited to bring Lauren on board,” says Tim Obermann, TMB’s European sales manager. “Our industry is a close community and our interaction with Lauren has been extremely positive. Our European distribution partner programme is expanding rapidly, and one of her priorities will be spearheading this effort. Lauren will no doubt be a valuable addition to our organisation.”
At PLASA 2019 on stands G59 and G60, TMB will be showing its complete range of products, including Firefly Festoon and Fa

USA - Chauvet Professional has appointed Brad Haynes as its national resource manager, concert and touring. Haynes joins Chauvet from AC Lighting and will foster relationships between the company and touring designers in addition to creating a range of educational programmes.
“All of us at Chauvet Professional are excited about welcoming Brad to our team,” comments Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “We have a great deal of respect for his knowledge and integrity. His extensive experience in the concert and touring world will enable us to serve those markets even better than we do today.”
Prior to his experience at AC Lighting, Haynes was director of product and application support at Harman International, where he managed product training and demo programs for internal staff as well as lighting professionals. He also held a series of commercial positions at Martin Professional for 12 years.
At Chauvet Professional Haynes will manage product demo and training programmes, while also serving as a liaison between the company and lighting designers. “Brad brings a valuable combination of skills to this position since he has a deep understanding of products and the designers who use them,” says Chauvet. “We’re very eager to start working together.”
(Jim Evans)

Italy - Following the resignation of the former chairman Silvano Latteo, DTS Illuminazione has announced the appointment of Dante Latteo as chief executive officer.
Dante Latteo has been appointed as new CEO in the pursuit of the company’s business continuous growth, says DTS. He is one of the founding members of the company and has been serving DTS for decades as senior board member. The new management will continue the company development process started a year ago, giving new impetus to the products innovation and brand repositioning in the world market, as well as consolidating the domestic achievements.
A DTS statemenent says, “All at DTS would like to express their gratitude to Silvano Latteo for the decades of commitment as chairman. Silvano's efforts contributed to expand and consolidate the company business, thanks to his entrepreneurial attitude and in setting and achieving professional goals, by adding precious value year after year.”
(Jim Evans)

Europe - Elation Professional’s European headquarters has appointed Alistair Smyth, a 24-year industry veteran who joins the growing office’s technical sales department. Smyth comes to Elation with background in customer, technical, sales and project support and will provide technical advice, assistance and training for Elation’s extensive product line.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Smyth lived in England for many years before recently relocating to Kerkrade, The Netherlands, home of the Elation Europe headquarter office, where he has already started in the new position. ”I have moved from England to the Netherlands to join Elation and I am excited and happy to join the team here,” he says. “The Elation brand has been known to me for many years and I jumped at the chance to be a member of the technical and sales force. I hope to provide a valued contribution to both customers and staff.”
Prior to Elation, Smyth worked as a technical sales coordinator at Flashlight Ltd., a distributor of entertainment industry technology near Manchester. He has previously worked in the video department of A.C. Entertainment Technologies (Leeds) and in Canada for Christie Lites, where he was head of service in the rental company’s Toronto office. He also has experience from High End/Flying Pig Systems and Vari*lite Production Services (PRG).
“Alistair’s many years of industry experience are invaluable and we are delighted that he has joined our team here in Kerkrade,” comments Elation’s European sales and marketing manager Marc Librecht.<

UK - Brompton Technology has announced the expansion of its customer facing team with the additions of Dries Vermeulen as business development manager (Europe), and Chris Grandin as technical support manager.
Vermeulen, a familiar face in the LED industry from his days at Barco, VER and ROE Visual, brings a wealth of experience in a technical and commercial capacity. He will be based in Belgium, positioning him to be in close contact with Brompton customers throughout Europe.
Grandin, who has relocated from South Africa, has most recently held the positions of group technical advisor for the Gearhouse Group of companies and technical services supervisor at Christie Digital Systems. He brings over two decades of expertise in the field of live entertainment and events, providing technical solutions and backup for creative staging ideas at events reaching audiences from under a hundred to a few million, across South Africa and internationally.
Vermeulen and Grandin join the customer facing team alongside Rob Fowler, now in the role of senior business development manager, and US-based Sean Sheridan, regional technical manager - Americas. Adam Callaway, who recently celebrated five years with the company, moves to the newly created position of technical project manager, and Luke Hurford, who continues to be based in China, moves to the role of regional technical manager - APAC.
(Jim Evans)