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July 2014 l 43
live Trond Lutdal: “Combine worlds”
industry like pro audio, there can still be a meaningful – not to say essential – role for the business-headed CEO as the world changes. In Scandinavia, the business-trained CEO of the Bright Group, Trond Lutdal, is indicative of the new breed heading up entertainment technology organisations, especially as they consolidate into wider groups.
“My company is not really that big, so I’m not really a CEO,” says Martin Reich of Swiss- based rental and production outfi t Audioconsulting. “A CEO for me is acting in a way the shareholders expect him to do, while a patron that owns his company is acting for the good of the company and the employees. I rather consider myself as a patron.” Reich’s assumption that CEOs really belong in large companies is a fair one, given the role of the executive in relation to wider governance in large, investor-owned corporations. But that
know what to look for in people and seek for the way to develop the team. Development of the team is much more important than short-term revenue growth. If there are some unique demands, that would be mental toughness – as you are alone.” So leadership can be extrovert or introvert, but putting people before profi t is a regular mantra. Just last month, the general manager of Bose’s professional division, Dr Akira Mochimaru, told this magazine: “I’ve seen too many good brands compromised by its owners being motivated only by bottom-line profi t, by margins and growth for growth’s
Frontlite – now trading under the name Bright – in Norway; Eastway, Moving Light and RGB in Finland; and Starlight, Lagom & Gott and Stageroom in Sweden span the Nordics following the acquisition of several rivals in a ‘buy and build’ strategy initiated by Finnish investment fund CapMan to “build a platform for further growth and value creation”.
Heading the group, Lutdal’s mission is to apply stronger executive principles while preserving what might be called the ‘soul’ of the industry. “Even in a business driven by passion and passionate people, there is a need for formal structures
“I have been CEO, PDG, president and general manager, and you could torture me and I wouldn’t know the difference” Mathias von Heydekampf, myMix/Movek
distinction is not carved in stone. “I think it depends on a certain style that the individual CEO wants to develop,” says Yoshi Tsugawa, CEO of Nexo. “In my case, I tend to hide myself rather than reveal myself. The best situation, when I know it’s working best, is when people don’t even care or notice what I’m doing!
“The CEO’s job is to collect together the right people and build a stage for them to act upon. Company size does not matter. A CEO must always
sake. In that environment, the original identity can be lost and the customers disappointed – especially in pro audio, where long-lasting relationships are so important.” He was referring to the late Dr Amar Bose and his bequest to the MIT that, fundamentally, keeps Bose in private hands for perpetuity, and it’s a view echoed right across pro audio.
WHEN YOU’RE FILING… But even if venture capitalism in its most ruthless form may not suit everyone in a vocational
and work processes,” he says, referring to, among other things, asset management and equipment strategy; plans and budgets; operational and fi nancial reporting; and formal decision processes. “The trick is to combine the best of both worlds; installing modern business practices yet, at the same time, keeping the passion, competence and drive needed to deliver the very best gigs to our clients.” “The managers we have are competent, committed, spirited and have forged very
strong relationships around the whole of the industry,” adds Lutdal. “These relationships are irreplaceable. But the successful expansion of the industry over the next few decades will be achieved more smoothly and more effectively with the addition of more modern business practices and, in some cases, new business talent. The key thing is to balance these human resources side by side, taking the best of every generation and making them work together.”
An even cleaner sweep is proposed by Ian Brenchley, CEO at west London recording complex Metropolis, who in 2012 told PSNEurope: “Complaining that compressed audio is not as good as vinyl, for example, is not going to make us any money”. He now adds that CEOs should “not be afraid to get their hands dirty” as the industry changes. “In this rapidly evolving marketplace – and at our end of the industry, which is still contracting – it has never been more important to be able to think on your feet, not just adapt with the market but innovate and, where possible, try to pre-empt where
Yoshi Tsugawa: “Collecting the right people”
the market is going,” Brenchley continues. “With Metropolis having now weathered the economic and music market storm, we’ve had to control our place in the industry to ensure that we’re meeting the market demand as one of the last key suppliers standing. Listening is imperative in our business. It’s vital for us to take on board our clients’ needs and be dynamic enough to tailor the business as it evolves.”
LEAD VOCALS
TC Group CEO Anders Fauerskov studied business administration at Copenhagen Business School before further education at Harvard Business School in the US. When he joined TC Electronic in 1993, the company had 20 employees, had gone bankrupt in ’89 and was still losing money. His strategy was to focus manufacturing on one sector – recording – and the M2000 Studio Effects Processor duly became the product that turned things around and laid the foundations of today’s global competitor.
For Fauerskov, one of the CEO’s biggest contributions is,
Martin Reich: “I consider myself a patron, not a CEO”
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