It was a very active week in Pro AV. Here are some of the people on the move and a new Biamp office to check out.
[What We Learned at the 2023 AV/IT Summit]
L-Acoustics Expands Its Global Education Team
L-Acoustics recently bolstered its Education & Scientific Outreach division by forming a new Education Operations team to serve customers and partners around the globe.
Reporting to Etienne Corteel, global director of education and scientific outreach for L-Acoustics, the new Education Operations team has been established to provide territory-specific oversight of the manufacturer’s training initiatives, both in-person and online, and to support the development of the expanding network of L-Acoustics certified trainers.
The new team is comprised of three Trainers Network Managers—Arica Rust serving the Americas, Vladimir Coulibre and Katerina Panagopoulou, dedicated to EMEA—plus François Montignies, based in Singapore, who has been named Education & Scientific Outreach manager for APAC.
In their new roles, the Education Operation team members will be tasked with qualifying new training candidates and supporting all certified trainers in their respective territories with the latest training and educational updates as they become available. They will also manage and lead the “open session” training. To ensure that the Education Operation team members retain their real-world acumen, Rust, Coulibre, and Panagopoulou will each continue to spend a quarter of their time working in the field on various tours, festivals, and other events.
PPDS Appoints Highly Experienced LED Specialist Jens Wunderlich
PPDS has appointed LED product specialist, Jens Wunderlich, as the company’s new global product manager LED displays.
With a professional career in AV spanning over 25 years, including the past decade devoted exclusively to LED displays, Wunderlich brings extensive product knowledge and project management experience to PPDS, having worked with some of the world’s leading and most recognized companies. His specialist areas include, but are not limited to, LED installations for projects in driving simulation, TV and film (studio production/broadcast), LED rental applications, public spaces (airports and LED outdoor venues), and more.
Reporting to Jeroen Brants, who has global responsibility for PPDS’ LED product portfolio, Wunderlich will play an intrinsic role in developing and executing the company’s dvLED growth ambitions on a worldwide scale, complementing its extensive range of LCD digital signage, interactive and videowall displays, which remain a key and thriving part of the company’s product portfolio.
As well as supporting the advancing and evolving Philips LED product range, key responsibilities in the role will include identifying new business opportunities, driving brand and product awareness, and supporting regional PPDS teams, as well as local distributors and system integration partners.
Lectrosonics Promotes Wes Herron to President and Karl Winkler to Executive VP of Product Design and Distribution
Lectrosonics has appointed Wes Herron as president, and the promoted Karl Winkler to executive vice president of product design and distribution, as current president Gordon Moore retires after 35 years with the company.
In his new role, Herron will be responsible for the business management of Lectrosonics, overseeing all aspects of the business and manufacturing operations. Herron has been with Lectrosonics since 1988, starting first as a machinist and then a mechanical assembler, while receiving degrees along the way, first with a BS in Mechanical Engineering followed with an MBA. He has served as the vice president of manufacturing as well as on the Board of Directors of Lectrosonics. His experience and long-term knowledge of the operations at Lectrosonics will assure a smooth transition into the next generations of products as new technologies, methods of manufacturing and software advances bring new capabilities into the legendary brand.
Winkler will bring his extensive market acumen and knowledge of professional audio systems to bear as he spearheads the development and design of the next generations of new products for the variety of customers that Lectrosonics serves in the broadcast, film, music, location sound, houses of worship, live sound and theatrical markets. Together with Herron, Winkler will work closely with the Lectrosonics R&D, design, engineering, sales, and marketing teams to continue to develop and offers customers next-generation products to mee the future demands of the ever-changing professional audio landscape. Winkler has been with the company since 2004.
Listen Technologies Names Brian Reilly Western Regional Sales Manager
In his new role, Brian Reilly will lead a team selling Listen Technologies solutions, including ListenIR, ListenRF, ListenTALK, and ListenWIFI, the recently announced next-generation audio-over-Wi-Fi solution that is expected to ship later this year, to manufacturers’ representatives, integrators, consultants, and dealers throughout the Western United States.
Reilly brings a long history of audiovisual (AV) sales, design, and integration experience to his new role at Listen Technologies. Specifically, he has expertise in designing and building classroom and corporate AV systems to meet the unique needs of customers and end users. Most recently, Reilly was vice president of business development at AV solutions provider ClearTech.
At Listen Technologies, Reilly will manage Listen’s team of manufacturer representative firms in the Western United States, as well as work directly with Listen’s dealers, integrators, and end users in the education, government, corporate, house of worship, and entertainment spaces to grow Listen’s business and footprint in the West. Reilly will report to Sam Nord, vice president of global sales at Listen Technologies, in his new role.
ENCO Adds Keith Lucas to Global Sales Team
Keith Lucas joins ENCO immediately as international sales manager, with a focus on building ENCO’s presence in the EMEA and North American broadcast and Pro AV markets, including channel partner network growth. He reports to president Ken Frommert.
Lucas spent nearly 21 years with Screen Subtitling Systems as business development director, where he was responsible for UK and North American direct sales and managed the company’s European distribution network. He later spent 18 months at Ai-Media, where he served as senior sales manager for the EMEA region. His combined expertise gained at both companies makes him an ideal fit for ENCO, which continues to solidify its leadership position in live translation and transcription captioning solutions.
RTI Adds Sales Representation in Commercial Channels
RTI announced four commercial sales representation companies now represent RTI control and automation solutions. Each of the four—Richard Dean Associates, John B. Anthony Company, The Healy Group, and Freed Sales—will provide commercial sales support to integrators in their respective territories.
All four companies were already engaged with RTI as a company, representing Blustream AV distribution in their territories. RTI launched Blustream in the US in 2020, where the brand is now experiencing double-digit growth. At InfoComm this year, RTI highlighted the power of the native integrations between RTI control and Blustream AV distribution — from wireless presentation switchers paired with standalone system processors, to video over IP managed from the same RTI system that integrates a facility's lighting, climate, shades, and security.
- Richard Dean Associates: New England and Upstate New York
- John B Anthony Company: Metro NY/NJ
- The Healy Group: Southern NJ, Eastern PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, NC, SC
- Freed Sales: FL, GA, AL, MS, TN
Bluefin Expands European Presence with AV Veteran Noël Kennedy
Bluefin International has hired Noël Kennedy to head up their European sales team. Noël is an AV veteran with nearly 25 years of experience on the distribution, end user, and manufacturing side of the industry. His well-rounded career will serve him well at Bluefin as he leverages existing and builds new relationships in the EU market for customizable digital signage displays as the European sales director.
With the addition of Kennedy and the Amsterdam hub, Bluefin anticipates quicker turn-around for custom signage requirements in Europe. Additionally, commonly requested inventory will be added to the Amsterdam distribution center for more centralized and shorter shipping times as Bluefin continues to take steps necessary to grow their business overseas.
Biamp Opens New Boston Office and Demo Space
The Biamp team converged on its new office space in the Boston metro area along with customers and partners to host an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 800 District Ave., Suite 310, Burlington, MA.
The event began with opening remarks from CEO and co-chairman Rashid Skaf to a packed crowd. Skaf spoke about how the new Boston location will enable the team to conduct more engaging product demos in a location that is more accessible for visitors. The new location also offers more entertainment options and nearby services.
The Boston area remains an important part of the Biamp footprint, where much of its sound masking product development originated. The new office space also reinforces Biamp’s commitment to providing a regional showplace and demo area for its Northeast U.S.-based employees, partners, and customers.
Afterward, attendees had the opportunity to tour the new demo spaces, which provide more complete and engaging environments to test out a host of Biamp products. Skaf noted that the new space provides a compelling showcase to help partners and customers in the region gain a better understanding of the options and capabilities Biamp offers.
The event also served to reinforce the mission of Biamp—connecting people through extraordinary audiovisual experiences whether that’s within a small office huddle room or a large outdoor stadium, or in practically any commercial space in between.
