What is your new position, and what does it entail?
I have just been named national sales manager of Solid State Logic’s audio creation products for the United States. My area of responsibility has now increased to oversee our relationships with the major MI retail chains, as well as most of our independent MI and pro audio dealers. In addition to that, I’ll be assisting the wider team with the studio consoles side of the business, and marketing of all of these, too. This includes building new relationships and strategic alliances within the industry.
How has your background prepared you for your new role?
I come from a varied employment background, and I think that is to my benefit. I’m a musician and audio engineer, I’ve run successful stores for a major MI retail chain, and I’ve been in sales for over 22 years. All of this experience enables me to really get the bottom line on the business side, and to speak directly to clients and end users from my own personal experience.
What new marketing initiatives are we likely to see from the company?
There has been significant ecommerce development in the past few months that we’ve already seen. For instance, I recently hosted a Meet the Producers program for SSL with producer/engineer JC Losada. This is an interview-based program in which we talk with some of the world’s most recognized producers. It was a great experience. By collaborating with our regional offices and our headquarters in Oxford [England], we’re able to make a significant impact as a brand that is engaging with the next generation of creatives. We will also continue to do what has always been successful for us. For instance, our educational initiatives in all the markets where we play will continue to be a major focus—the only question being what delivery medium we favor. Ideally, that would be as much face-to-face interaction as makes sense.
What are your short- and long-term goals?
In the short term, I will be looking to further streamline our fulfillment to better serve our rapidly increasing number of dealers, and getting to know some of the dealers that have just come under my supervision. It’s important for me to understand what they’re really about so we can enable them to be as successful with our product line as possible. Long term, I’d like to find new markets in which our products are a solid fit, as well as find new problems we can solve with our current and future offerings.
Related:
• 60 Seconds with Phil Wagner of Solid State Logic, Dec. 5, 2019
• SSL Broadcast Tech Wins Queen’s Award, April 22, 2020
• Innovations: Solid State Logic System T Broadcast Console, by Thomas Jensen, April 9, 2020
What is the greatest challenge you face?
The greatest challenge I face is the same that all manufacturers of audio equipment for music production face. What will the studio of the future look like? How do we continue to educate our new end users—some of whom have never touched an analog console before—about best workflow practices, and why a storied company like Solid State Logic, which has been on the cutting edge of audio design for nearly 50 years, is still as important now as it was many years ago.
Solid State Logic • www.solidstatelogic.com