Strategy in TECH...
On Monday this week, Apple, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) confirmed what had been widely rumored: CEO Tim Cook would retire from the company. Cook, who is 65 years old, will leave his role as CEO in September and move into a new position as Executive Chairman of the Apple Board of Directors.
The impact of this development is significant and is likely to echo throughout the entire technology industry. Let’s contemplate that a little…shall we?
On Tuesday, we learned that Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is laying off hundreds of employees from its film studio, TV studios, and division HQ, according to a report in the Hollywood Reporter (HR). The reason behind the company’s move is said to be an effort by CEO Ravi Ahuja to refocus the company on “certain core growth areas, while pulling back in other places.”
Dr. Steve Weber was building a home in Colorado, and he needed an integrator to design and install the home’s automation system. Although he didn’t know it at the time, the result of that experience would alter the course of his career.
Respected custom integration industry executive JC Murphy, the Chief Commercial Officer of Savant Systems Inc. (Savant), has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) Smart Home Division. CTA is the leading association for the consumer electronics industry and owns and produces the iconic CES exposition event. It also has a Smart Home Division, which exists to advance the smart home industry.
John MacDonald, a widely known and highly respected custom integration industry executive, suffered a sudden heart attack in his home office and passed away on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. News of his sudden passing raced throughout the industry, launching a torrent of heartfelt tributes across all major social media sites.
La Verne, Ca-based Harmonia Distribution, a national distributor of select high-end, high-performance audio brands, has announced recent changes to its leadership structure in the wake of the departure of former President David Schultz, who left the company at the end of 2025. Taking over as President is Jesse Luna, who was promoted from his previous role as Vice President of the company. Also, Jeff Coates has assumed the role of Director of Sales. Coates was also an internal advancement from his previous position as US Sales Manager.
On Wednesday, the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) announced the roster of new members joining the Global Board of Directors after a “slate” vote by members recently. The trade association also announced a historic first – for the first time in its history, a woman has been selected as Chairperson of the organization.
Big news this morning out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota as AVPro Global Holdings, LLC, one of the fastest growing companies in the custom integration industry, announces it has named current Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matt Murray as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Company founder and current CEO Jeff Murray will become the Chairman of the Board in a move that the company says was a long-planned generational leadership transition.
I have sad news to report as highly respected industry veteran Chris Byrne has died on December 5th in Napa, California. Byrne had a long, illustrious career in audio, playing a prominent role with several key brands, including at the launch of the compact disc, when he was VP of Marketing for Pioneer Electronics. However, most in the industry know him best as co-founder of NHT (Now Hear This) loudspeakers, his business home for 30+ years.
Origin Acoustics announced this week that it has added well-known integration industry executive Jeff Brewer to its management team as Executive Vice President of Sales. Brewer will report to Marc Fisher, Origin’s President of Sales.
