As of October 1, 2007, Simon Blackwood will take over the role of Turbosound managing director from Philip Hart.
“Having sold my stock in Focusrite, I was vaguely thinking about retiring somewhat early and was heading down the A24 through the rolling Sussex countryside to the coast to spend a bit of time on the beach,” smiles Blackwood, “when I got waylaid at the Partridge Green exit by Philip and was easily persuaded by him into taking over the mantle of MD.”
“Business is about creating a vision and managing the tactics to deliver it,” he declares. “I’ve been working with the excellent Turbosound sales team and distributor channel over the past few months to give me a rapid insight into the dynamics of the market.
“Having founded and very quickly grown the Spirit mixer business in the early 1990s and more recently restored Focusrite/Novation to health, I know most aspects of the music industry pretty well. But high performance loudspeakers are relatively new to me, so it was an excellent mechanism for me to really get to grips with things before I took over from Philip.”
Now, he is fully ensconced and ready for the challenges ahead.
“I’ve spent some time looking for the right person to take over from me,” adds Hart. “Simon and I have a long association. We first worked together in the 1980s and he then joined me at Soundcraft, so I know him well and am sure I’ve found my perfect replacement.”
As well as leading the company as managing director, Blackwood will continue to oversee Turbosound’s sales channel management, while Hart moves to the position of chairman of Turbosound and serves as a board member of parent company, Proel.
“We have a number of strategic plans already in place, one of which is focussing on expanding our business in the key US marketplace and you’ll see change there in the immediate future,” reveals Blackwood. “We have a fantastic product line, a great team and an excellent brand base to build on. I’m looking forward to helping Turbosound deliver its potential”.