NORTHRIDGE, California - HARMAN has appointed Paul Shorter to the position of Technical Services Manager for its Soundcraft, Studer and AKG brands. A 22-year veteran of the pro audio industry, Shorter joined HARMAN in 2009 as Field Applications Engineer, specializing in support for the Soundcraft and Studer digital console ranges. In addition to his new position of Technical Services Manager, Shorter continues as an active field engineer throughout the continental United States and provides technical sales support.
Shorter was one of the first digital console and editorial field service engineers in the world. For 20 years, he worked closely with some of the biggest names in the broadcast and post industries, such as BBC, NHK, Warner Bros, Disney, SWF, OPTUS TV, Carlton, and Shepperton and Pinewood Studios. At the beginning of 2000 he started his own company, Backup Audio Visual Ltd., providing a combination of pro audio and video services, including sales, rental consultancy and specialist support.
Shorter started his electronics career in 1979 as an apprentice for a small TV and video rental store and service department in southeast England. He studied TV and industrial electronics at Southend College of Technology (now known as the South East Essex College of Arts and Technology), then spent six years working for GEC/Marconi Avionics testing Airborne Radar line units for Tornado aircraft before entering the pro audio world in 1989 working for AMS.
"As the Soundcraft, Studer and AKG brands continue to grow in the United States, we embrace the responsibility of scaling our customer support infrastructure accordingly," noted Keith Watson, Marketing Director, HARMAN Mixing Group. "Having such a talented and experienced engineer as Paul Shorter already in the HARMAN fold made his appointment an easy decision and we can think of no individual more capable of tackling the challenges of his new position."
"Joining HARMAN two and half years ago was a wonderful opportunity and I consider myself very fortunate to be presented with my current challenges in this new position," Shorter said. "The combination of leading a great team of people to provide the best possible customer support, the ability to remain in the midst of a diverse customer base and the chance to work closely with our dynamic sales team on new projects is proving very exciting indeed. Having spent 20 years in post-production, I am enjoying the challenges broadcast and live sound are adding to my personal knowledge base."
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets - supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.2 billion for twelve months ending December 31, 2011.