Press

17.07.2007 - Wedemark

An Unprecedented Level of Worldwide Customer Service and Support: Sennheiser Creates New Global Relations

Taking a major audio production across international borders can present a host of logistical challenges that extend beyond those faced by domestic productions. While the peerless customer service of audio specialist Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG has always made the company a leader in global support, its newly created Global Relations division has formalized this commitment by providing high-profile events, corporations, artists, engineers, and sound companies with unparalleled assistance around the globe. Not only will the Global Relations division support Sennheiser’s wired and wireless products but also Georg Neumann and
Klein + Hummel products. The Global Relations team harmonize support across borders so that Sennheiser users can count on the same quality standards and high level of support no matter where they are in the world.

“Some may ask why Sennheiser is establishing the Global Relations division,” commented Susanne Seidel, President of Global Marketing for Sennheiser. “The answer is quite simple. Our focus is on our customers’ satisfaction, on “going the extra mile” to support them in their work, to listen to what they need. We believe that providing cutting-edge products is not enough — the service, expertise and support provided together with this “hardware” also need to be first-class. We established the Global Relations division because it will allow us to focus even more on customer satisfaction, and to operate harmoniously across borders, wherever our customers need assistance. I was very pleased to appoint Greg Beebe to the position of Director Global Relations.”

Sennheiser’s Global Relations division represents a completely new tier of service. No other company in the pro audio industry provides a service that is comparable. Greg Beebe commented, “Sennheiser recognizes that many high-profile users, such as the Pan AM Games, the Olympics, Live Earth, Beyoncé, The Police, The Grammys, Live 8 and a myriad of other events and companies, travel the globe with our products or have permanent facilities in multiple countries, respectively. We felt it was imperative to offer a level of global support that transcended anything currently in place and to establish a new standard in our industry. The new Global Relations division ensures these customers have unfailing support at every stage of their relationship with Sennheiser, from acquisition of our products to their end use, across continents, covering all the issues involving worldwide frequency management, around the clock, every single day of the year.”

Beebe began his career at Sennheiser Electronic Corporation in 1992 as an application engineer, and since then has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility within Sennheiser. Notably, he served as the channel manager for the music industry and sound recording markets, and was awarded the position of vice-president export for the Latin American market. In his role as Director of Global Relations, Beebe reports directly to Susanne Seidel, President of Global Marketing at the Sennheiser headquarters in Germany. Continues Beebe, “This gives us direct access to their wealth of marketing and communications, research and product-related experience.”

Greg Beebe, Director Global Relations

To staff the Global Relations division, Beebe scoured the Sennheiser organization and the upper echelons of the pro audio industry to assemble the best team in the industry.

Mick Whelan, Global Support Manager in the newly created division, synchronizes service and support across borders, enabling production organizations to be confident in using Sennheiser products anywhere in the world. Whelan comes to Sennheiser with over 35 years of experience in every aspect of live sound for major productions. During the early years of his career, Whelan handled FOH for acts such as Stevie Wonder, The Beach Boys, Bette Midler, and many, many others.

Mick Whelan, Global Support Manager

Three relations managers comprise the client contact in each of their respective regions, and each comes to his or her new position after many years of dedicated service within the Sennheiser Group.

Home-based in Washington, DC, Kristy Jo Winkler, Artist Relations Manager in the USA for the past five years, now takes responsibility for the Americas and Canada. An accomplished musician and songwriter, Kristy Jo’s tenure at the US subsidiary, Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, includes building a rapidly expanding, high-profile endorsed artist base that crossed into all musical genres, initiating the new marketing alliance with the House of Blues and spearheading the NAMM Dealer Appreciation Parties.

Kristy Jo Winkler, Relations Manager Americas & Canada

In the U.K., Mark Saunders, Artist Relations Manager for the past seven years, is now in charge of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Mark is successful at identifying up and coming talent such as The White Stripes, Scissor Sisters and Keane as well as handling the Sennheiser superstars Madonna, Shakira, Kylie Minogue, The Police, and Annie Lennox.

Mark Saunders, Relations Manager Europe, Middle East, Africa & India

Vince Tan, former Product Manager and Sales Engineer for the past eight years with Sennheiser Asia, takes responsibility for Asia and Australia from his office in Singapore. Vince’s background includes sound design for live shows and theater, touring Asia with leading artists and engineers, and developing ongoing customer relationships with consultants in the Far East.

Vince Tan, Relations Manager Asia & Australia

The Global Relations Division team is rounded out by Team Assistant Maryam Larki-Bavi, based at the Sennheiser headquarters in Germany, who coordinates all of the division’s internal logistics, including scheduling technical support, communicating relationships throughout the Sales and Marketing network, maintaining support service data, and interacting with clients or other stakeholders to assist with problem resolution.

Maryam Larki-Bavi, Global Relations Team Assistant

The Sennheiser Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. A family firm established in 1945 and based in Wedemark near Hanover, the company recorded sales of over 356 million euros in 2006, 82% of which was generated abroad. Sennheiser employs over 1,800 people worldwide, around 55% of whom are in Germany. The Group has manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA and is represented worldwide by subsidiaries in France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as through trading partners in other countries. Also part of the Sennheiser Group are Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones), K + H Vertriebs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (Klein + Hummel studio monitors, installed sound) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S (headsets for PCs, offices and call centers).

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You can find out the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting http://www.sennheiser.com/ or by contacting:

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG 
Press Office • Edelgard Marquardt 
Am Labor 1 • 30900 Wedemark 
Tel: +49 (5130) 600-329 
Fax: +49 (5130) 600-295 
E-mail: marquare@sennheiser.com

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
Greg Beebe
Director Global Relations
Tel: +1 (860) 581-8052
E-mail: gbeebe@sennheiserusa.com