Where are you originally from, and where do you currently reside?
Originally from Gloucester and now live just outside of Portsmouth.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Any favourite sports or hobbies?
Most of my time now is spent with the family or in the gym. Still do the odd bit of running and boxing when I need to burn some AV stress, which is most days.
How did you get into the AV industry, and what was your journey to your current role?
I started straight out of school in October 1996 at the all-knowing age of 17. I joined an AV integrator called Reflex (now Aura) as an Installation assistant. It basically meant crawling in floor voids, lifting projectors with a rope and constantly burning the ends of my fingers with a soldering iron. It was also here, where I learnt how to wire a plug, paint floors, wallpaper walls and put up shelves. As Jim Hardwood said to me back in the day, this is all good “character building”! After a couple of years in installation and service, I took my first step into sales as an internal salesperson, selling portable projectors. This was never actually a goal or ambition for me as I always said I never wanted to be a salesperson. However, people I worked with convinced me to give it a try and without doubt it was the best guidance I was given. Sure, sales is hard and you are constantly on the rollercoaster of highs and lows but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What are your thoughts on the future of the industry? How is your company addressing potential challenges?
The AV industry is shifting towards open standards like IPMX and evolving protocols, which bring both opportunities and challenges. Ensuring seamless interoperability and long-term adaptability is crucial as technology advances. At Lightware, we are committed to future-proofing our solutions by prioritising open standards, flexible architectures, and deep integration. Our AV-over-IP products, including Gemini GVN, and UBEX, support both 10G and 1G Ethernet networks, allowing businesses to adapt as protocols evolve. By embracing software-defined upgrades, cross-platform compatibility, and dual Ethernet interfaces, we help our customers scale efficiently while maintaining reliability in an ever-changing AV landscape
Any exciting news you’d like to share – upcoming projects, tech developments, or plans for 2025 and beyond?
We’re excited about the continued expansion of our Taurus product family, particularly with the launch of the Taurus Smart Dock, designed to simplify hybrid collaboration and enhance meeting room efficiency. Offering seamless video conferencing, high-definition media sharing, and single-cable USB-C connectivity, it ensures a smooth user experience across various meeting spaces. For large-scale installations, our UBEX solution delivers uncompressed 4K UHD video with ultra-low latency over a 10G Ethernet backbone, making it ideal for live events and mission-critical environments. As we move into 2025 and beyond, we remain focused on innovation, ensuring our AV solutions continue to drive collaboration, performance, and reliability across the industry.
What excites you most about working in AV every day?
I still remember my introduction to AV. A button was pressed, the lights dimmed, curtains opened, projector turned on, the guitar intro to a Dire Straits song started blaring out of speakers as smoke came up from the floor. Geeky maybe but it was the coolest thing a 17-year-old has ever seen, and the memory still gives me goosebumps. Nearly 30 years on, we are a necessity in business, which is proven by the continued growth even after people said the office was dead. We change, we adapt, we keep moving forward and finding new ways to help users interact with technology in their day-to-day work lives.
If you had to predict one major shift in the AV industry over the next decade, what would it be?
For me the interesting development is how AI can be used to help enhance the user experience in the meeting rooms. If we take the base principle that AI is designed to improve our productivity and functionality then it should be an exciting new approach to product development.
What’s the most valuable leadership lesson you’ve learned during your career in AV?
“There is never a problem, only a challenge” which was a lesson from a previous managing director, Roland Dreesden. In the tech world, things don’t always go as planned. When they don’t, take a step back, review the challenge, ask for help and then communicate. No one person can do this alone so surround yourself with good like-minded people and you will continue to grow and move forward.
What advice would you give to someone looking to build a successful career in pro AV?
Accept there are no short cuts or quick ways to get to the top. We are in a world where social media sets people’s expectations of what they want in their personal and professional life. This can be a great way to create ambition and focus, but only once you realise that the only way you can get there is through hard work and perseverance. Create a good Reputation. Our industry is still very small which means “everyone knows everyone” and people move. It’s ok to move as it helps with career and personal development but just remember what you do today will be seen by people that can become your key in the future.
