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L-Acoustics is pleased to announce the appointment of accom- plished audio industry expert Alan Macpherson to head the newly formed Americas division, encompassing sales, application, sup- port, fulfilment and finance activities for all countries in North, Central and South America. Alan will report to Laurent Vaissié, CEO L-Acoustics, and Hervé Guillaume, CEO L-Acoustics Group. The company further reinforces the new division with the promo- tion of BJ Shaver to Business Development Director for the in- stallation market and the appointment of William Cornell as Busi- ness Development Director for the rental market, both reporting to Macpherson.


“L-Acoustics is committed to supporting and growing our pres- ence on the American continent. As we navigate through one of the most challenging times for our industry, we feel incredibly for- tunate to be able to bring onboard two of the most outstanding and respected industry veterans, Alan and William, and confirm the well-deserved promotion of BJ. I’ve already witnessed Alan’s un- flappable attitude, personal commitment, and long-term strategic outlook, which, combined with the unique ability to federate and inspire our teams, are the marks of a great leader,” shares Vaissié. Macpherson brings to L-Acoustics more than two decades of top


Also core to the success of the new Americas division are the newly created Director of Business Development posts conferred to B.J. Shaver for the installation market and William Cornell for the rental vertical. Based in Tennessee, Shaver has spent more than seven years developing the southwestern US market as Regional Sales Manag- er for L-Acoustics. During that time, his sales and support focus has been heavily invested into the House of Worship vertical, a market considered essential to the current and continued success of the company. Prior to joining L-Acoustics, Shaver rose to the position of Vice President of Installation at Elite Multimedia in Memphis, Tennessee. “B.J.’s ability to analyse and manage busi- ness opportunities, identify partners and foster them to success has allowed L-Acoustics to take our Southern region to the most performing region in North America,” says Vaissié. “Having him in this expanded role where he will continue to grow the install business across the Americas will be an invaluable component of our ongoing success.” Cornell comes to L-Acoustics after spending almost 15 years with d&b audiotechnik, where he built and managed sales op- erations in the Americas and rose to the position of CEO of the


wave of product lines, including the Philips T-Line for education and C-Line for Corporate interactive touch displays, added: “I’m truly humbled to have joined the teams here during such an ex- citing time in the company’s history. Philips Professional Display Solutions has become a hugely important and disruptive force in the AV market, priding itself on bringing truly innovative, world first products and solutions to specific markets. In my short time at the company I’ve had the privilege of working and collaborating with some super people and some great minds, working on pro- ducing products for today’s market needs and also, importantly, the future. I’m delighted to be part of its current and future suc- cess.”


Poly has announced the appointment of Sofocles Socratous as vice president of sales, Northern Europe, effective immediately. Bringing 18 years’ experience in the technology and communications sector, Socratous will be responsible for growing the Poly business across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Nordics and Benelux.


“Sof brings a breadth of international experience and industry knowledge to enable Poly to lead the market in Northern Europe,” said Paul Clark, senior vice president for sales and managing director, EMEA, Poly. “He will be ensuring the delivery of the right solutions for customers and partners in the region – bringing advanced audio and video conferencing products together with device management services, as organ- isations reimagine the way they work and look to enhance virtual meetings.”


Socratous joins Poly from data- base management provider Bit- nine Global Inc. where, as pres- ident of sales & marketing, he was responsible for developing strategic and operational plans to support the business’ expan- sion across EMEA.


Prior to this, Socratous served as vice president of EMEA at Seagate Technology for over 11 years, where he led the sales, marketing and business oper-


Alan Macpherson, CEO, L-Acoustics Americas BJ Shaver, L-Acoustics Business Development Director, Install William Cornell, L-Acoustics Business Development Director, Rental


managerial experience, primarily with Yamaha, where he most re- cently served as Vice President for Yamaha Corporation of Ameri- ca’s Integrated Marketing Group in Buena Park. Over his lengthy tenure with the manufacturer, he had been tasked with spearhead- ing the growth of the NEXO and Steinberg brands, in addition to Yamaha’s own professional audio and music industry product lines.


“I’m delighted to join L-Acoustics,” Macpherson enthuses. "The brand has earned its reputation not just by developing quality products, but by focusing on the systemic quality of its global network of partners and consistent innovation in creating tools that improve the workflow of sound professionals and relentlessly raise the audio bar. L-Acoustics looks to the long game, developing processes and products for enduring success, and always with the improvement of live performance at the heart of what they do. That’s a perfect match for me and my vision.”


Philips Professional Display Solutions has announced the appoint- ment of highly experienced digital signage and DooH marketing specialist, Mireia Busquets, as the new Marketing Manager for Iberia. Mireia has worked in the AV industry for more than a de- cade - including overseeing some significant projects with foot- balling giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and


significant capture for the company, joining Luis Miguel Batuecas, the new Sales Manager for the region, as it continues to further strengthen its European teams.


Covering Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar, Iberia has been a significant growth market for Philips PDS in recent times, with the company’s ever-growing portfolio of market leading display products and solutions continuing to capture the hearts and minds of customers – including hospitality, education, retail, corporate and more.


Hero products leading the charge in the region include – but are certainly not limited to – the company’s highly coveted MediaSuite hospitality TV range, its new interactive C- and T-Lines designed specifically for corporate and education respectively and, most re- cently, the ground-breaking queue management safe signage solu- tion, PeopleCount – Philips Professional Display Solutions’ direct response to the challenges faced by Covid-19. Based in Barcelona, and reporting to Ron Cottaar, Marketing Di- rector B2B for EMEA and Cesar Sanz, Sales Director for Iberia, Busquets’ main responsibilities will include communicating the company’s range of new and existing solutions to the AV market


manufacturer’s US subsidiary. “William is a strategic thinker and has clearly demonstrated his talent for building trust and growth with customers year upon year,” describes Macpherson. “His prov- en ability to plan and execute long-term business models will be mission-critical as we build the foundation of our Americas team and continue to strengthen our leadership position in touring and make strides into key vertical markets, such as Broadway and cor- porate.”


“Alan joined the team just before the crisis, and while we’d cer- tainly never choose this type of onboarding situation voluntarily, it’s been a valuable learning experience for all of us,” explains Hervé Guillaume. “Alan has confronted the battle head on, and the full team has rallied with him, developing a collective resil- ience and digging deep to find creative ways to help the company and our partners weather the storm. “With this new leadership structure and the full strength of our team, we’ll be well poised to return from this difficult season stronger than ever and ready to serve our industry as it moves forward to recovery and beyond,” concludes Guillaume.


is the latest


(including integrators, distributors, designer, end customers and the media), conceiving and executing new innovative and impact- ful marketing campaigns (including events) and supporting re- gional sales managers. Ron Cottaar hailed Mireia’s vast experience and “incredible” creative vison, describing her as a “major asset” to the team and company: “I’m delighted to welcome


Mireia to Philips


Professional Display Solu- tions,” said Cottaar. “She brings to the role a wealth of proven experience and suc- cess, making her the perfect candidate at such an import- ant and exciting time for the company.”


Mireia, who is currently pre- paring campaigns for a new


Philips Professional Display Solutions has announced the appointment of highly expe- rienced digital signage and DooH marketing specialist, Mireia Busquets, as the new Marketing Manager for Iberia.


Poly has announced the appoint- ment of Sofocles Socratous as vice president of sales, Northern Europe, effective immediately.


ations, focused on increasing


revenue and market share with a best-in-class organisation struc- ture focused on service and team culture. “Poly’s range of smart communications devices and services helps customers across industries for every enterprise need, and the de- mand for unified communications technology has never been more profound. It’s a great time to join Poly as the company is at the fore- front of delivering next-generation solutions to drive productive, au- thentic and meaningful human connections. I am looking forward to working with the team, customers and partners to respond to the emerging demands in line with the shift in the way we work, regard- less of where we work from,” said Socratous.


Socratous reports to senior vice president for sales and managing director, EMEA, Paul Clark.


RTI has announced that Neal Ellsworth has joined the company as Di- rector of Product Management, AV Distribution. In his new role, Ells- worth is tasked with delivering a new portfolio of multizone audio/video distribution systems, amplifiers, video over IP systems, and more, en- abling RTI dealers to create exceptional experiences for their custom- ers.


“We're dedicated to providing our dealers with innovative solutions that help them win more business and are excited Neal is leading the team in delivering unique audio and video distribution toward that commitment,” said RTI CEO Joe Roberts. “He brings a wealth of ex- perience and deep understanding of the AV market, combined with an impressive track record of success in product management and development that will bene- fit our dealers and distributors.” Ellsworth comes to RTI from Nortek Security and Control, where he served as Senior Prod- uct Manager. In that role he was responsible for the development of


video


RTI has announced that Neal Ells- worth has joined the company as Director of Product Management, AV Distribution.


distribution and AV-


over-IP solutions for the compa- ny's Xantech and ELAN product lines.


Previously he served as Product Manager at Core Brands and as Product Line Manager at SnapAV. Ellsworth holds a Bach- elor of Science degree in finance


from the University of Florida. “AV distribution is an important growth category where we know we can create great experiences for our dealers and their customers,” said Ellsworth. “I'm excited to work with the RTI team to present a new gen- eration of solutions that create opportunities for our channel partners.” Ellsworth is based in Northern California and reports to Joe Roberts.


AV News August 2020 P19


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