Pharos - Leaderboard - May 2024

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USA - Lawo North America has announced the passing of VP of sales Michael Mueller.
“We mourn the premature passing of our colleague, team member, and friend, Michael Mueller (66); a truly unique colleague, with whom we at Lawo had the pleasure to work together for more than a decade,” says the company in a statement. “He passed away after a brief, yet severe illness on Saturday, 26 September, 2020 amid his loved ones.
“Michael Mueller brought a wealth of experience to his positions as US sales and marketing manager, and later as vice-president of sales, with Lawo North America. After his initial sales position with Audio Techniques of Stamford, CT in the mid to late 1980‘s, Mueller went on to assume positions with Scharff Weisberg Associates, Siemens Audio Inc. /AMS-Neve, Inc., Solid State Logic, and Fairlight USA. Prior to joining Lawo North America, he was

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UK - KV2 Audio has announced the sudden passing of their sales director David Croxton.
The company says in a statement:
"It is with the deepest and most sincere regret that we have to announce the shocking and unexpected passing of our dear friend and colleague David Croxton as the result of a fatal accident. He was 59.
"David joined the family of KV2 Audio in 2011, to fulfil a new Sales Director role within Asia Pacific, but initially as a curious non-believer of the technologies and theories of our founder and developer, George Krampera Snr.
"As was typical of David, he soon discovered through deep thought, questioning and actual operating of systems that he could not only understand and accept what was being proposed, but provide essential and additional complements with his quiet considered approach, linked to a deep well of knowledge and advice, usua

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UK - Unusual Rigging has shared the sad news that electrical and design engineer Paul Taylor - known affectionately as PT - lost his battle with cancer on 17th August 2020. He was 64.
A statement from Robin Elias on the company’s blog reads: “PT started his ‘Unusual years’ in March 1988. He joined the company because he felt that as he was now a family man, he should have a quiet 9-5 job! It did not quite turn out like that. He soon became one of the foundation stones of the company. PT was a pioneer in the field of automation and quickly established his position as our Electrics & Automation Guru.”
Elias continues: “He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Theatre and Automation and was happy to pass on his knowledge and expertise. In an atmosphere of impossible deadlines and challenging problems, none of us can remember PT ever raising his voice. He reta

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USA - Danley Sound Labs has announced that Skip Welch, currently director of sales, will take on additional responsibilities as head of marketing. Welch’s new combined title will be director of sales & marketing.
“Skip spent his first seven years at Danley in the roles of Eastern regional manager and national sales manager,” said Jeff Pulliam, general manager at Danley Sound Labs. “He knows the audio industry inside and out and understands the growing niche that Danley holds within it. That, together with his native marketing sense and artistic abilities, make Skip the perfect person for the new role of director of sales & marketing.”
Welch added, “Although the pro audio industry, like so many industries, is facing difficult times, Danley is looking to the future with new projects and innovative technologies. Our team is energised and excited! I l

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Germany - Atlona has added two technical experts to its EMEA sales and engineering teams to help bring customers’ AV system visions to life. Mustafa Bostanci and Timo Schonmeier join Atlona as sales engineer and technical sales engineer for Networked AV, effective immediately. Both report to Kobi Levy, director of technical services, and are based at Panduit’s Customer Briefing Centre (CBC) in Frankfurt.
Bostanci joins Atlona from AVI-SPL in Germany, where as lead technician he oversaw the installation, inspection and approval of AV systems and collaboration solutions for their end customers. His expertise in software solutions is particularly beneficial for Atlona partners and end users transitioning to AV over IP systems. Bostanci also brings 12 years of experience as an IT and network technician with at Messe Frankfurt, a well-known trade fair and event organizer, whe

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USA - Denny McLane has joined Symetrix as the new manager of the customer experience team.
McLane began his career as the president and owner of Sound Techniques in North Hollywood, CA, where he designed and installed sound and video systems for churches, auditoriums, theatres, and provided live sound production for producer David Foster and his roster of artists. He later spent seven years at BSS Audio (Harman Pro) presiding over sales and support for Soundweb London for the Western US and most recently held the position of Consultant Liaison with Atlas-IED driving architectural projects toward their product offering. McLane is a true expert at bridging technical products and integrator/end-user needs.
“We're very excited to welcome Denny to the Symetrix family,” stated Dan Lynch, Symetrix VP of marketing. “As the leader of the customer experience team, Denny's

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UK - Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has appointed Courtney Hercules to the UK team, as regional sales manager.
Reporting to TIG's regional director UK & Ireland, Phil Breitschadel, Courtney will focus primarily on the Crestron range of solutions and will support integrators by advising on the most suitable tailored solution for their clients' specific needs - in any commercial, corporate and collaborative setting.
Phil Breitschadel comments, "Courtney clearly understands TIG's vision, which is to provide a fully compatible suite of premium AV, UC and control solutions that integrate harmoniously with Crestron to create superior smart spaces. He is a talented and knowledgable salesman, having developed his technical expertise in the AV and technology industries. We look forward to having him join the team."
Courtney adds: "Working for TIG and representi

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Europe - Exertis has announced a number of senior appointments across its international division.
Christer Svärd is appointed managing director for Exertis Nordics. Christer was previously the CEO of Higab AB, a company that builds, manages, and cares for properties in Gothenburg and before that, he served as CEO of Volvo Parts, a global spare parts distributor.
“Being able to take charge of Exertis operations in the Nordics, in an exciting industry with a really strong owner, was an attractive prospect that I could not refuse. I have extensive experience in the supply chain and leading businesses with great growth potential which I hope fits very well into Exertis Nordics,” said Svärd.
Exertis Nordics also welcomes Helena Byström as supply chain director. For the past six years, Helena worked as a logistics manager at Zinzino, a direct sales company for

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USA - PSAV has announced that Ben Erwin has been named chief executive officer, effective immediately, and will maintain his current title as president. In his new role, Erwin will be responsible for driving the strategic direction of the company and overseeing the execution of its business plan.
Says the company, “This leadership transition occurs as PSAV continues to take a leading role in helping its customers adjust to the current environment of the meeting and events industry. Erwin succeeds Mike Mcllwain, who has served as CEO since 2011.”
“I am honoured to assume the role of CEO during this pivotal time,” Erwin said. “We are focused on positioning PSAV for a return to growth and long-term success as we continue to provide creative solutions to our customers and venue partners.”
Erwin continued, “On behalf of the entire team, I want to thank M

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UK - Audiologic has recently appointed Andrew Matthews as business manager for Ireland and Scotland. He will be responsible for maintaining and building on existing relationships with Audiologic’s integrator network, presenting the latest technical solutions from its suppliers and further developing the business in providing wide-ranging support for new projects and sales enquiries.
With a career that spans over 30 years, Matthews joins Audiologic from Bose Corporation where he was director/national sales manager for Ireland in all channels that included consumer electronics and live and installed sound.
Dave Smith, senior business manager at Audiologic, comments: “We are delighted to announce that Andrew has joined Audiologic, he brings with him extensive local knowledge, a fantastic approach to the customer experience and a wealth of expertise in advanced audio

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USA - LSi is sad to report that Howell Binkley, one of the most distinguished theatre/dance lighting designers of his generation, died on Friday 14th August in Jacksonville, North Carolina, of lung cancer. He was 64. "He was just a special spirit," his widow, Joyce Storey, told the Winston-Salem Journal. "He was adored by so many and will be missed by all."
According to the Journal, Binkley, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attended Atkins High School, where he was first drawn to theatre. He worked at the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem and graduated from Reynolds High School in 1974. After attending East Carolina University, he moved to New York in 1978, and began working with the Acting Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Early on, he established himself in the dance world, working with the Joffrey Ballet,

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UK - Following the recent announcement of a strategic partnership with SFL, alongside its appointment of several new roles, WL is continuing to expand its production department, offering a complete technical service.
With so much recent change within both the wider world and live events industry, WL saw this as the ideal time to look at its existing production offering and assess how this could be broadened in order to further benefit the huge range of projects it delivers annually.
As such, it has restructured its existing team and created roles which will see them work even closer with clients in order to fulfil their creative requirements.
With many years of experience both at WL and in the technical production sector the account management team now consists of key account managers, Stuart Crane, Dominic Yates and Richard Stirzaker who have been joined by tec

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USA - ClearOne has appointed AV industry expert, Craig Paller as senior director for sales development.
“ClearOne has always worked closely with partners to keep the sales organisation close to the pulse of the industry and providing that high-engagement our customers expect,” said ClearOne president and CEO Zee Hakimoglu. “Craig Paller fills a new position in our organization to engage even further with new verticals and new influencers– with the ClearOne mantra of approachability and support.”
Paller joins ClearOne with over 20-years of professional audio visual experience. He has held leadership positions with Harman Professional, Listen Technologies, and Shure, Inc., and most recently served as GM, Americas and global business development for Music Tribe.
“My background in sales, marketing and key customer development are crucial to expanding exi

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USA - UK-based loudspeaker manufacturer PMC has announced that pro audio industry expert Ted White has joined PMC USA as director of operations/chief engineer.
PMC is currently heavily involved in the supporting immersive audio by partnering with Dolby and Universal Music Group to develop and promote the Dolby Atmos format for music mixing.
“We are very excited that Ted has joined the PMC team in such a pivotal and dynamic role,” says Maurice Patist, president PMC USA. “While he was with Live Nation Studios he was responsible for mixing iTunes live concerts in surround sound and he is also very familiar with PMC products, having used them many times in studios and for trade shows and events. He is well known in the industry and incredibly well respected.
“Having someone of Ted’s calibre in a hands on role spanning many different disciplines will be a g

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UK - Harman Professional Solutions has appointed Ben Payne as the head of sales for Martin Professional Lighting in EMEA. He has more than 20 years of experience in the theatrical and live entertainment industry.
“I am delighted to have Ben lead Martin Professional Lighting in EMEA. Having worked in theatre and live entertainment lighting for many years, Ben has an innate understanding of the needs of our customers and a passion for the lighting industry and the Martin brand,” says Hamid Soufian, vice president and GM for the EMEA region, Harman Professional. “I am particularly pleased that Ben’s promotion supports Harman’s global initiative to nurture internal talent and grow our people into key roles.”
Payne started working in theatres behind a lighting desk and quickly became a theatre technical manager for the Arts Theatre in Cambridge. He also worked

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UK - Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has announced the appointment of Matthew Bailey as regional sales manager UC for the United Kingdom.
He will work with the TIG sales division to bring his extensive experience of the unified communications market to the team and will be responsible for driving the development of new business for TIG’s ecosystem of brands that integrate with Crestron’s world-class UC portfolio.
Discussing this new role, Bailey says: “I'm really looking forward to embarking on this new journey at TIG in the Crestron UC space. With my experience, drive & passion for UC technologies, both Company and ultimately Client success are on the horizon - I simply cannot wait to start, meet everyone and get going at TIG.”
TIG’s CEO, Robin van Meeuwen adds: “I’d like to welcome Matthew to TIG. In the unusual circumstances that 2020 h

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USA - Theatre Projects has announced the addition of Gena Buhler in the new position of head of new business development, North America. Joining from the Wheeler Opera House (Aspen, CO) where she served as the executive and artistic director, Buhler brings over 20 years’ experience in event production, venue management, operational logistics, festival and program development, and relationship-building of critical partnerships.
She will lead the business development team in North America and will act as a key member of the strategic planning team, offering timely and expert advice on project needs, feasibility, early project visioning, and other business planning
“Gena’s a great addition to our team,” says Daniel Ordower, general manager. “She understands the industry, our goals, and our markets - the arts, corporate

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UK - Harry Parslow, managing director of TourLife, which provides support services for the touring and live entertainment industry, has been shortlisted for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category at the 2020 Great British Entrepreneur Awards for the South West region.
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards - which will be held on 23 September via a virtual ceremony for the first time - has shortlisted 550 entrepreneurs and 433 businesses across eight regions in 15 categories, including Creative Industries, Disruptor, Scale-Up and Young.
Launched in 2012, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards have celebrated and championed the entrepreneurs behind some of Britain’s upcoming and influential businesses.
Music industry disruptor TourLife, which is celebrating its fifth year in business this month, were founded in 2015 by the then teenage Harry Parslow. The comp

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UK - Powerful Thinking, the outdoor events sustainable energy working group, has restructured to provide specialist sustainable energy advice to live events, appointing a new chair and project lead Tim Benson, heading up a new-look board, within the Vision: 2025 sustainable events knowledge hub, July 2020.
Powerful Thinking is a not-for-profit working group, whose mission is to provide the outdoor events industry with inspiration, resources and technical support to enable a transition from carbon intensive temporary power provision to lower impact solutions.
Tim Benson states: “I am delighted to be working with this diverse team of industry experts. We are going to focus on driving significant reductions in carbon emissions at events, producing a comprehensive library of resources to support the differing needs of all levels of organisers and suppliers.”
The

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Canada - Atlona has hired Christina Cruzeiro as regional sales manager for Canada. Based in Toronto and reporting to Jamey Swigert, director of AV sales and business development, Cruzeiro is responsible for working with Atlona’s Canadian distributors and integrators, and expanding Atlona’s business across the country.
Cruzeiro’s AV industry experience took shape 10 years ago as a sales manager for New Toronto Group, where she led the company’s Adobe Connect Software product division for five years.
Cruzeiro’s experience with web conferencing and collaboration software over those eight years provided a natural bridge to the AV industry as business development manager for Stampede Presentation Products.
Cruzeiro says, “The industry will accelerate its transition to BYOD strategies in collaborative office environments, and businesses will invest more in

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The Netherlands - ETC has announced the addition of Robbi Nassi as field project coordinator for the Northern European territory. Based out of Amsterdam, Robbi will be responsible for providing sales support in the Benelux region. His role will involve managing projects and supporting regional sales manager Tim Stokholm in developing the customer and dealer network throughout the territory.
With over 18 years of experience in the industry, his interest in the field began with a Performing Arts Technology degree at the Tshwane University of Technology where he went on to specialize in lighting.
Prior to ETC, he was at Electrosonic SA where he worked in a sales position as a live events manager before moving to Sydney, Australia to pursue further career advancements as a technical sales representative for Event Communications. Robbi has worked on several large projects

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APAC - Alwyn Wong has joined Symetrix as their new regional sales manager overseeing the Asia-Pacific region.
Wong comes to Symetrix with over 20 years of experience in the professional audio industry. He was first introduced to audio DSP’s while working on a system installation for the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. He later spent six years at Harman Professional as a technical sales engineer, and then as a senior application engineer.
Most recently, Wong came from Peavey Commercial Audio where he was the technical manager overseeing the APAC territory.
“It is my honour to work for one of the top Audio DSP brands where I can utilise my expertise in network audio,” says Wong. “With my ample experience in the Asia-Pacific market, I feel confident that we can navigate the audio-visual landscape and produce favourable outcomes.”
Won

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USA - Austrian AV technology manufacturer AV Stumpfl has appointed Conor McGill as a global business development manager with a special focus on the US media server market.
McGill is the former director of strategic partnerships at Float4 in Montreal. At aV Stumpfl, he will focus on growing the customer base of the media server system Pixera.
"I first used an AV Stumpfl product for a projection mapping project at a NFL football stadium in the USA four years ago. That project was a smashing success and every interaction I've had with the company since has been stellar,” says McGill. “I feel very fortunate to have found my way to the company and am looking forward to working with old and new customers alike on cutting edge media projects with Pixera," says McGill.
In 2018, AV Stumpfl GmbH established AV Stumpfl Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, and has continued to gro

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Spain - Chauvet Professional has appointed Eusebio ‘Sebi’ Romero Garcia as product specialist for Spain. An experienced lighting and stage technician, Garcia will be working closely with the company’s Spanish distributor, Barcelona-based, ACSON, to coordinate product training and roadshows throughout the country.
“There are exciting opportunities for us in Spain,” said Michael Brooksbank, general manager of Chauvet Europe. “Sebi’s experience and talent make him a valuable addition to our team as we continue to work with ACSON to build on our success and develop our brand in this vibrant market.”
Garcia will be based in Madrid, but will coordinate his activities closely with ACSON in Barcelona. He will report directly to Sam Bowden, Chauvet’s European product manager, but will also work closely with the Stéphane Gressier, international sales director,
  1. 7thSense Design expands US operations
  2. ENCO appoints sales director
  3. ESTA stalwart Glenn Becker passes away
  4. Altman strengthens engineering support
  5. Gosney and Oppermann join Sonosphere board
  6. Audio-Technica US grows product management
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