Henry Packard Appoints New FD at Martin Audio

	Henry Packard

Martin Audio announces the appointment of Henry Packard as its new finance director.

The move provides a massive boost to the company, since Packard had previously been financial controller at parent company Focusrite. He said the drive to fill the vacant position, following the departure of his predecessor Steve Miller, had become more pressing with the runaway growth of Martin Audio and the launch of sister brand Optimal Audio. "As Dom [Harter, Martin Audio MD] and Sally [McKone, Group CFO] are in regular discussion the move came about quite organically," he says.

"An internal move is great for the Company and generally for everyone involved. I've effectively had a six-year interview process to prove myself with Focusrite, so it was a lovely surprise to be told I was being considered. There was no way I could let the opportunity pass, and after a few further chats with Sally and Dom, it seemed like a great match all round."

Martin Audio's new FD already had close inside knowledge of the loudspeaker specialist, having been heavily involved in the acquisition process, when Martin Audio joined the Focusrite stable at the end of 2019. "The cultures are actually quite similar," he continued. "People really care about the products and the Company; it's more than just a 9-5 job, it's something that is really important personally."

However, despite the seamless transition, he highlights inherent differences in the respective market and business operations "which keep things interesting and gives me new challenges to face." His new role requires an even greater focus on strategic and planning duties, he maintains. "Ultimately I will be taking on more responsibility -- driving the Group forward and maximizing the great potential which is already present."

In terms of the respective company cultures, Packard is looking forward to enhancing his knowledge of the recording/hobbyist market acquired at Focusrite with the advanced live and installed sound solutions embodied by Martin Audio (as well as Linea Research).

Having now assembled his team, with the further arrival of a new financial controller, Packard looks forward to the future with optimism. "There are so many positives here...the people, the product, the financial performance this year. Even the logistics, I'm only about 500 meters from my old desk!"

Summing up the road ahead, and his short-term goals, he believes "the biggest challenge is how we maximize the growth we're seeing and strong demand while coping with all the macroeconomic risks and volatility such as production demands, component supply, freight availability and costs. We'll be planning to mitigate these risks and looking to make the most of our position to continue this growth." Welcoming the new FD, Dom Harter said, "Henry has been a great addition to the management team. It's another great example of providing opportunity for employees within the Focusrite Group and with Henry's quality of thought, skillset and energy, I'm delighted with the progress and contribution he is making."