INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Elation Professional’s Anthony Velazquez and Shawn Butcher; ADJ Group’s Eddie Short; SSE Audio Group’s Nathan Hernando; Martin Audio’s Case Kuehn.

Elation Professional has announced that two of its employees, Anthony Velazquez and Shawn Butcher, have assumed new roles as Product Specialists.

Velazquez has been named Antari Product Specialist while Butcher assumes the role of Control Product Specialist.

“We are excited to promote from within our organisation both Shawn and Anthony, who have proven over the years to be strong team players, both with a passion for servicing our customers,” said Elation Sales and Marketing Director Eric Loader.

“Their focus and dedication on developing these product categories will be key to our growth plans for each brand.”

Velazquez’s new responsibilities encompass broad management of the complete range of Antari special effect machines which includes launch and promotion, product training, inventory and market analysis. Butcher’s new role involves working closely with the Obsidian Control Systems development team and will also help to manage new product launches.

Entedi has become the distributor for begin Elation Professional products in the UK. “As the recent PLASA show demonstrated for us, there is a growing demand for Elation products,” stated Marc Librecht, Head of Sales and Marketing for Elation in Europe. “Expanding our brand in such an important European market is an essential piece of our growth strategy. Entedi is a company that appreciates that relationships are the key to

success and we are delighted to be working with them to spread the Elation brand.”

With the exclusive partnership, Entedi expanded its professional portfolio to include Elation’s complete range of lighting products, allowing the company to offer its customers more complete solutions.

ADJ Group Products welcomed Eddie Short as its new PR and Communications Manager.

Short has helped the Group of Companies that include; ADJ Lighting, Avante Audio, American Audio and Accu-Cable. Short will be writing press releases and stories for the ADJ NewsWave digital newsletter and liaising with press and media contacts.

Brian Dowdle, ADJ Group Marketing Director said: I’ve always admired Eddie’s work and, when he became available, I knew he’d be a great fit for our growing team.”

ADJ has also broadened its product range after it acquired Eliminator Lighting. All existing Eliminator Lighting fixtures have been made available from ADJ USA, opening up the brand’s equipment catalogue to all current ADJ dealers with immediate effect.

Eliminator Lighting’s Product Manager, Albert Paredes, will stay with the company ensuring continued excellent customer service for both existing Eliminator dealers and those who choose to stock the line for the first time now that it is available through ADJ distribution.

As part of the expansion of SSE Audio Group, Nathan Hernando has

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The Music & Audio Solutions & Services team; Adamson’s Marc Bertrand; Allied Protech’s Jeff Miranda; Ayrton’s Chris Ferrante, Linnea Ljungmark, Michael Althaus.

been appointed as Sales Manager.

Hernando takes over the role of Sales Manager from Peter Codron who recently moved to Martin Audio. Hernando will steer the development of new equipment sales for SSE in London and the South of England, and be involved in SSE’s Installation division.

SSE’s Sales Director, Alex Penn said: “With Nathan at the helm of the Sales team in London we see this as a great opportunity for further growth and development of the team.”

Case Kuehn has joined Martin Audio as President of Martin Audio North America.

Martin Audio’s management buyout in June 2018 meant that the North American operation took on additional local responsibility that had been handled by the previous Company Owners.

Martin Audio’s Managing Director, Dom Harter said: “With sales in the US booming, we needed a President that could manage the day to day business strategy and core operational functions. I’m delighted that Case has accepted the role as he is both extremely capable and has a deep understanding of our company.”

DPA Microphones has named Music & Audio Solutions & Services as its new distributor in the Philippines.

Thanks to a strategic partnership with Audiophile Components – the largest Pro Audio Distributor in the Philippines – DPA products will now be available through 12 Audiophile branches in and around Manila.

Dominic Tsang, DPA’s APAC Area Sales Manager, said: “We are pleased to have found an experienced partner in the Philippines and I am confident that with its solid knowledge and local expertise, Music & Audio will be able to serve our current and future customers promptly, efficiently and in the best way possible.”

DPA has also promoted Thomas Frederiksen to the new Vice President of Sales role for the APAC region.

Frederiksen has headed up DPA’s regional office in Hong Kong, which opened in 2013 to support the company’s sales partners in Asia.

DPA’s CEO Kalle Hidvt Nielsen said: “I am pleased to have Thomas on board. APAC is an important region for DPA. I know that, with his strong background in the pro audio market and his extensive experience in Asia, and in particular Japan, he will drive the APAC team to develop even closer links with distributors, dealers and customers across the region.”

Marc Bertrand has joined Adamson Systems Engineering as Chief Executive Officer after company Founder Brock Adamson assumes the role of Chairman.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be leading a company as respected and reputable as Adamson – especially amidst an exciting time of growth and continued innovation,” said Bertrand.

In his new role, Bertrand plans to continue building the Adamson brand in the vital North American market while maintaining its strong presence in Europe and supporting its growing Asia-Pacific market position.

Allied ProTech have revealed that Jeff Miranda is the new Sales Manager.

Miranda brings near 15-years of experience in the professional audio industry, has run his own integration company and has nearly two decades of experience as a Live Sound Engineer.

“Jeff’s broad experience, not just in professional AV sales, but also as an Integrator, Design Engineer and Mixing Engineer, makes him the perfect choice to join us in this new role,” explained Rik Kirby, Founder of Allied ProTech. “Over the last two years our business has been growing extremely quickly and we’re confident Jeff will be instrumental in continuing this growth.” Miranda will be based out of the offices in Orange County, California.

Ayrton has welcomed Linnea Ljungmark as the latest addition to its expanding international Sales Team.

Ljungmark previously woked at Intersonic AB, the family-run distribution company founded by her father Per Olof Jlungmark in 1997. During this time Ljungmark gained experience in Scandinavian markets and worked with Ayrton through Intersonic’s distribution of the brand.

“We are delighted Linnea has joined our international sales team,” said Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s Global Sales Director. “This is a time of rapid growth and increased activity for Ayrton and Linnea is a welcome addition to the team. Her expertise, energy and enthusiasm will be an invaluable asset to Ayrton’s adventure going forward and we are excited to welcome her on board.”

Based in Sweden, Ljungmark will be responsible for Ayrton across the whole of Scandinavia, the Baltic and Benelux countries and the Iberian peninsula.

KB Event, has confirmed the addition of three new members of staff. Tia Ganatra, Rebecca Smith and John Conway all joined the KB Event team at their head office in Nottingham in readiness for 2019.

Tia Ganatra’s new role sees her joined as Finance Apprentice, part of Natalie Wright’s finance team. This is Ganatra’s first full-time job and one she hopes will be the start of a long and successful career in accounts.

Rebecca Smith joined Howard Dearsley’s team as an Operator. Smith has previously worked as a Transport Manager for companies within the agriculture industry. After working in Property Management, Rebecca’s appointment within KB fulfils her desire to get back into transport and operations.

John Conway joined as the Warehouse and Yard Operative, part of Sean Conway’s Warehouse Team. Having previously worked within an insurance

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

KB Event’s Tia Ganatra, Rebecca Smith, John Conway; Astera LED’s Sebastian Bueckle, Con Biviano; Allen & Heath’s Alfonso Martin; The Brands on Stage Team.

and account handling warehouse, Conway will apply his experience to KB Event’s warehouse division, offering more clients KB Event’s bespoke warehouse Stock Management system.

Leanne McPherson, Company Secretary, commented: “It is wonderful to welcome more young people into the KB Event group. Their enthusiasm, determination to succeed, and a fresh approach is an absolute compliment to the experience and knowledge the older members of the team.”

Astera LED has unveiled that ULA Group is its new exclusive Australian and New Zealand, distributor.

Astera’s Sales and Marketing Director, Sebastian Bückle said: “I see huge potential in the Australian and New Zealand markets. So we sought aa partner that is progressive with a great reputation for quality and well connected with a diverse and interesting client base. ULA Group ticked all the boxes. They have huge energy and are highly motivated to push Astera products to the top across multiple markets.”

Established in 1992, the ULA Group is one of Australia and New Zealand’s best known and well-established professional lighting and visual solution providers.

ULA Group MD Cuono Biviano and his team are fully committed to providing inventive lighting technology and visual solutions to all professional and commercial sectors.

Biviano commented: “Astera is more than just a well designed and engineered LED product; details have been thought-through, making this a truly ground-breaking range. The ingenuity of the Astera product range is perfectly suited to ULA’s portfolio and vast client base.”

Allen & Heath has announced that Sonos Libra is its exclusive distributor in Thailand. Sonos Libra has a strong presence as a pro audio distributor in SE Asia and already represents the Allen & Heath brand in Vietnam. With an experienced team, they have quickly garnered a reputation for first-class service and customer support.

Markus Sinsel, Sales Director at Allen & Heath, said: “We are pleased to be working with the Sonos Libra team in Thailand. They are a young, dynamic company who have rapidly built an impressive standing in the region. We are looking forward to continuing to work together to further strengthen the brand.”

The partnership takes immediate effect with plans for regular training, product support, stock availability and product presentations.

Allen & Heath has also appointed Val Gilbert as Technical Marketing

Manager.

Based near London, Gilbert will be supporting Allen & Heath’s international distributor network, optimising the levels of education and training support they’re able to offer.

Rob Clark, Managing Director at Allen & Heath, commented: “We’re excited to welcome Val to the technical team. His extensive experience places him in an excellent position to help us develop our global product education and training and to better support our customers.”

Markus Sinsel has also joined Allen & Heath as their new Sales Director. Sinsel joined Allen & Heath from its Germany, Spain and Great Britain distributor, Audio-Technica Europe, where he held the role of Allen & Heath Brand Manager.

Allen & Heath’s Managing Director, Rob Clark commented: “Markus has been part of the Allen & Heath family for the past 17 years and has a truly exceptional understanding of both our products and our customers. I cannot imagine a more qualified individual to drive our continued growth in cooperation with our distribution partners.”

QSC has welcomed Brands on Stage as its distribution partner for the company’s Live Sound division.

With years of expertise as distributors in the region, Brands on Stage manage the QSC Live Sound Portfolio throughout Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Which will enable more brand growth and more opportunities with Latin American channel partners and their customers.

“We are very excited to be part of the QSC family. Our work philosophies are 100% aligned.” said Guillermo Promesti, Principal of Brands on Stage. “We have plans to offer educational seminars and product presentations throughout the region for our customers, to share QSC’s amazing portfolio of products, such as the TouchMix compact digital mixers and the K.2 Series.”

POLAR has appointed Adrian Hamilton to the post of Business Development Manager for Ireland.

Based near Dublin, Adrian offers POLAR technical skills, combined with the experience of leadership in Senior Management positions.

Stuart Leader, Director of POLAR Integrated Solutions said: “Adrian is an outstanding professional. His technical expertise is unquestionable and he complements this with a highly dynamic approach to business. We wanted to develop the opportunities available in-region, so local support was essential. Adrian is perfectly equipped to develop and strengthen POLAR’s

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L-Acoustics’ Scott Sugden, Marcus Ross, Vic Wagner; NEXO’s Joe White; MDG’s Martin Michaud and Nicolas Duhamel.

business in the region.”

Shure has promoted Mark Humrichouser to Vice President of Global Sales. Humrichouser leads the company’s Global Sales team, which oversees worldwide sales operations for pro audio, retail, integrated systems, and emerging markets.

“I am proud to appoint Mark to this position in global sales,” said Ray Crawford, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales at Shure. “Mark’s vision and strategic leadership are extremely valuable to our Company and will be instrumental in helping Shure achieve our sales objectives in 2019 and beyond. I congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion.” L-Acoustics has reinforced the Product Management and Application Touring Team with three new appointments. Scott Sugden was appointed Product Manager and will be reporting to Jeff Rocha, Product Management, Director.

Since 2010, while in the Head of US Touring Support role, Scott Sugden contributed to the success of L-Acoustics touring markets in North America. “Scott is an outstanding individual who demonstrates a rare combination of both technical acumen and great communication skills, with a keen focus on the user experience, making him the ideal candidate to fill the key cross-functional role of Product Manager,” commented Rocha.

Effective immediately, recent hire Marcus Ross assumes the role of Head of Application, Touring, USA & Canada, reporting to Florent Bernard, Director of Application, Touring. Based in L-Acoustics North America headquarters in Westlake Village, California, Ross will lead application support for all rental production projects in USA and Canada. He has furthered awareness and deployment of L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound and oversaw new developments in the theatre market.

Laurent Vaissié, L-Acoustics CEO, USA & Canada, said: “Marcus’ proven leadership skills and understanding of the full signal chain from mixing to amplification, networking and sound reinforcement will be a tremendous resource for our rental network and end users.” Also new to the L-Acoustics US & Canada Touring team, is Vic Wagner, assuming the role of Application Engineer, Touring.

“Vic has been one of our top KSE for the past decade while at Sound Image, winning high praise from tours and festivals all over North America,” said Vaissié. “After a decade spent on the road mastering all aspects of high-end touring system deployment, we are extremely fortunate that Vic

chose L-Acoustics for the next step in his career.”

NEXO has welcomed Joe White to its International Sales Team. He will be taking up the role of Business Development Manager with responsibility for NEXO’s activities in South-East Asia, India and Oceania.

Reporting to Sales Director Denis Baudier, White will shoulder the responsibility for managing NEXO’s distribution network in the Far East.

White said: “New government policies and investments into infrastructure are highly encouraging for a sound reinforcement equipment manufacturer of international renown. We can see huge growth potential in the entertainment and worship sectors. This is a very exciting time to rejoin my friends at NEXO and put on a new hat.”

Nicolas Duhamel has returned to MDG as Marketing Director and part of the European Business Development. In his new role, Duhamel will be responsible for all MDG’s marketing activities worldwide and the central point of call for European distributors seeking out new opportunities to develop the MDG brand across Europe.

“Nicolas never left us completely as he continued to look after our marketing part-time, so we are delighted to welcome him back,” said MDG President & CEO, Martin Michaud. “Nicolas has played an important part in the MDG story, and with his experience and passion for the brand, I have no doubt that there are exciting times ahead for MDG.”

Harman Professional Solutions has announced its new distributor partnership with Exertis in the UK.

The distribution agreement entitled Exertis the right to distribute the collaboration and retail products range offered by Harman . The agreement covered the entire Harman AMX Acendo product family in addition to a selection of AKG, JBL Professional and Martin by Harman products.

“We are delighted to partner with Exertis,” said Richard Hutchinson, Regional Lead UK and Eire at Harman Professional Solutions, EMEA. “By appointing Exertis as one of our retail and collaboration space distributors in the UK, we will be able to address the new segment demands of the market. We are confident that with Exertis’ vision and high level of expertise, we can significantly enhance our market reach.”

Exertis distributes IT, communication and home entertainment products in the UK and is a wholly owned subsidiary of parent company DCC. TPi www.tpimagazine.com/category/industry-jobs/

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