PPDS, exclusive global distributor of Philips’ products, has promoted the experienced AV engineer Jan Van Tieghem to its new director of technical sales support. Based in Ghent, in Belgium, with an EMEA remit, Van Tieghem’s AV career spans more than 20 years, 15 of which have been devoted to supporting the Philips Professional Displays.
He will now lead support teams across all PPDS product ranges – digital signage, including ePaper, interactive displays, videowalls, dvLED, and professional TVs – located in the company’s innovation centre in Ghent, Belgium, and throughout all regions in EMEA, including Benelux, CEE, DACH, France, Iberia, Italy, the Nordics, SEE, and UK and Ireland.
As director of technical sales support, Van Tieghem’s key responsibilities will include supporting B2B sales activities (pre- and post-sales), working with new and existing partners for final validation of new software releases on all product platforms, ensuring EMEA market compliance, and assisting customers in delivering live, and video training for installations and projects.
Van Tieghem and his team will also provide dedicated support for customers in mastering the application of PPDS’ products, services, and solutions; assisting with integration for projects; defining best configurations for tailored needs, simulating and testing customers setups, and solving any interface or compatibility issues.
Van Tieghem joined Philips as a system validation engineer in 2006. Since then, he has held a number of leadership positions. His roles to date include field application engineer (2011-2014), customer support engineer hospitality TVs (2014-2021), functional manager customer support (2021-2024) and, most recently, interim technical sales support director in the US.
Discussing his new role at PPDS, he said: “I am hugely excited to have been given the opportunity and responsibility to lead the EMEA Technical Sales Support team. The transformation and growth of the business over the past 15 years have been extraordinary, evolving from a traditional manufacturer of displays to one that now offers one of the industry’s most complete choice of total solutions, with software – developed in-house and with third-party providers – now a key strategic focus.”
Martijn van der Woude, VP global marketing and business development, PPDS, added: “Jan is a long-serving and highly respected member of the PPDS team, who has shown throughout his career unwavering commitment and professionalism to deliver on the company’s ambitions. Jan’s natural team leadership skills, together with an unparalleled knowledge and experience of Philips Professional Displays, make him the ideal candidate to lead our team into the future. I wish Jan every success in his new role.”
