Finance Monthly CEO Awards 2016 Edition

www.finance-monthly.com 22 FINANCE MONTHLY CEO AWARDS 2016 GERMANY Amnon Harman CEO of d&b audiotechnik GmbH Website: www.dbaudio.com Amnon says: What attracted me to take over this role at d&b was an international business with a truly global reach and a very strong brand presence in the professional audio industry. I’ve always worked in the tech environment and I strongly believe that you can make a difference with great technology. At d&b we are doing just that – providing unique audio solutions to our customers. Our mission is to accurately transfer the passion happening on stage to the receiving audience. This is what the people at d&b are passionate about and burning for. And with some of our technologies we have been setting the pace for new trends in the high end professional audio market. Another factor was that d&b has been growing significantly in recent years. With the increasing number of international markets and a broader access to new end customers, especially in the field of fixed installations, there was an increasing demand for more structure and new business practices. I saw improvement opportunities and I could see how I can personally contribute to ensure the future growth and success of the company. Finally,theaudio industry isfullofexcitingapplicationfieldscreatingoverproportional growth opportunities – these range from live performance solutions for concerts, musicals and corporate events, to a broad variety of fixed installations for theatres, opera houses, churches, cruise ships, stadiums and many other venues. To enter into new market segments and expand the business together with a passionate team is a fantastic management challenge. When the independent private investment company, Ardian, acquired d&b earlier this year we found a new investor to back us in implementing our ambitious strategic plan. First and foremost, this is to address more customer segments, especially in installation markets; secondly, to continue innovating with new technologies, and thirdly, to further strengthen our position in international markets. The key for us is to listen carefully – understand what is good for the market, and successfully build that into our products. This year marks the company’s 35th birthday, a really significant moment in its evolution. At 35 d&b is not a young company anymore, but sometimes it still feels like managing a large start-up business. Right now we are harnessing the strength that comes from a certain level of maturity, coupled with the same pioneering spirit the company was born with. It’s a very exciting time. Our ultimate goal is to create the best sound possible. The people at d&b achieve this with great passion, no compromise to quality and a sense of family and community, or “Wir-Gefühl” as we say in German. This combination represents an attitude and a lifestyle more than just performing a job. I am very proud to lead this fantastic team. Firm Profile d&b is internationally recognized as the leading manufacturer of high quality sound reinforcement systems for speech and music reproduction in installation and mobile markets. d&b systems are permanently integrated in an extensive range of venues, including the Sydney Opera House, the Symphony Hall, Boston and many other highly ranked venues. The company’s mobile solutions are equally versatile and can be found at public events, festivals and on the world’s highest grossing concert tours. d&b has subsidiaries in the USA, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Singapore and Japan, and works closely with a global network of distributors in 45 other countries; their knowledge and range of services ensure users can achieve the same optimal acoustic result with any d&b system anywhere in the world. Since 2011 d&b sales have more than doubled, from €44 million to €94 million in the financial year 2015. During this time the global community of d&b co- workers has also increased from 200 to more than 350. Earlier this year d&b was purchased by the private investment company ARDIAN. Lollapalooza: Berlin’s Lollapalooza Festival opted for a d&b audiotechnik PA for their main stage, to ensure optimum sound quality for headliners such as Muse. Amnon Harman - Background Prior to joining d&b, Amnon served as Chairman of the Management Board of AUGUSTA Technologie AG, an international public company focused on optical sensor technology and digital image processing. Previously, he was a member of the Management Board and COO at SUSU Linux AG, where he took over the position of Vice President and COO of the EMEA region after a sale to Novell Inc., a specialist for network and internet software products. Earlier in his career Amnon held positions as Managing Director at the investment banking arm of Deutsche Bank, Investment Director for venture capitalist eMillenium, and at the international management consultancy Arthur D. Little.