Earthworks Audio Announces 2026 Continuity Plan, Retains Mike Dias as Strategic Advisor As part of its ongoing growth efforts, Earthworks Audio announces that it has retained Mike Dias, veteran pro audio executive and former vice president of sales, as a strategic advisor for the 2026 calendar year. Dias will support product strategy, market alignment, and high-level commercial development. "Mike played a pivotal role in Earthworks' recent transformation," says CEO Daniel Blackmer. "His ability to align product, story, and execution is unmatched, and we're excited to continue that momentum into 2026." Dias joined Earthworks in 2020 during the height of the pandemic to lead a full commercial reset. His tenure reportedly produced category-defining wins that repositioned the company and established the commercial and product frameworks now in place. Among these were the ICON, ICON PRO, and ETHOS, establishing Earthworks' first broadcast and streaming microphone line. ETHOS received a global iF Design Award, He also expanded Earthworks' presence on major stages through high-profile drum and touring placements with top engineers and artists. He introduced the SR117, Earthworks' first modern handheld vocal microphone and winner of the NAMM TEC Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement. Also during his tenure, he tripled output and unit volume by aligning catalog strategy, marketing, and production; streamlined the SKU lineup to focus on high-turn, high-impact offerings; and directed global PR, artist relations, and product placement to reinforce category leadership. Dias left his full-time role at Earthworks in 2024 to launch Mike Dias Speaks, a platform built around performance psychology, narrative architecture, and executive strategy. His work applies lessons from touring -- how elite performers rehearse, hold pressure, read the room, and earn trust -- to the boardroom, giving leaders practical frameworks for communication, alignment, and decisive execution. He now consults globally on product placement, brand storytelling, APAC/MENA expansion, and trust-driven leadership development, helping companies connect creative vision to commercial outcomes and strengthen their influence where it matters most. Through the 2026 retainer, Earthworks will leverage Dias' expertise to reinforce the company's core categories and extend the gains established during his earlier tenure. He will help ensure Earthworks microphones remain present on influential stages, sets, and screens, will prove senior-level guidance as Earthworks recruits, trains, and develops new commercial and content-focused talent; help unify Earthworks' product stories, media initiatives, and partner communication; and reinforce ties with the artists, engineers, dealers, and industry tastemakers who shaped Earthworks' resurgence and continue to influence adoption across key categories. "Earthworks has been a defining part of my career," Dias says. "This partnership gives the team stability while giving me the freedom to amplify the brand from new angles. It's continuity with lift." You can read an interview with Dias in the October 2025 issue of Lighting&Sound America. 
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