CEDIA has announced that Giles Sutton, senior vice president of member success and sales, and Kory Dickerson, senior vice president of operations, will step up to take over as interim co-CEOs, replacing Tabatha O’Connor who departs the Association in January.
“The appointment of interim co-CEOs, elevated from within CEDIA’s Senior Management Team, sends a strong message of continuity, experience, and leadership to the CEDIA community,” says CEDIA Board chair, Rob Sutherland. “Giles and Kory have been part of a staff team that has worked tirelessly in response to the Covid-19 crisis to help members stay informed and connected. Together, they have a depth of operational and financial expertise, industry awareness, and valuable experience in member engagement that can continue to take CEDIA forward until the time a new CEO is appointed.”
Sutton has led the drive for increasing member engagement around the world, facilitating strong partnerships across the industry, and delivering value-add initiatives and programs for CEDIA members. Before joining CEDIA, he spent 13 years as an integrator and served as chair on the CEDIA EMEA Board, prior to global alignment, and later treasurer and vice chair of the CEDIA Global Board. During this time, he has also represented CEDIA members on the Membership Advisory Council and the Governance and Finance Committees.
As senior vice president of operations, Dickerson has been responsible for the worldwide finance and accounting, human resources, and administrative operations at CEDIA, having previously been senior director of finance at the organization. Before CEDIA, Dickerson worked for more than seven years at the healthcare insurance company, Anthem, Inc. There, he first held the position of portfolio director within the IT organization before promotion to director of corporate accounting and analysis, where he led the Telecom Sourcing and Accounting and Analysis teams for six years. Additionally, Dickerson served as controller and chief accounting officer of a financial services organization and as a manager with the global professional services firm, Deloitte.
Sutton and Dickerson will collaborate closely with the CEDIA Board Executive Committee, the CEDIA Board, and global CEDIA staff, operating with clearly defined responsibilities in their new roles. Their focus will remain the implementation of the CEDIA strategic plan with its pillars around education, workforce development, and cross-industry collaboration. CEDIA is committed to developing and delivering educational pathways alongside standards, guidelines, and best practices to support the goal of building a professional and well-trained workforce; creating new talent that will enable the industry to grow; and, reaching out beyond the industry to help build awareness of CEDIA members.
Tabatha O’Connor is working with Sutton and Dickerson in the short-term to ensure a seamless transition. The interim co-CEOs will remain in place until the global search for a new president and CEO is completed.
For more information, visit cedia.net.
