Latin America. CEDIA has announced that Giles Sutton, Senior Vice President of Sales, and Kory Dickerson, Senior Vice President of Operations, will assume the role of interim co-CEOs, replacing Tabatha O'Connor, who leaves the Association in January.
"The appointment of interim Co-CEOs, elevated from CEDIA's senior management team, sends a strong message of continuity, expertise and leadership to the CEDIA community," said CEDIA Board Chair Rob Sutherland. "Giles and Kory have been part of a team of staff who have worked tirelessly in response to the COVID-19 crisis to help members stay informed and connected. Together, they have a wealth of operational and financial experience, industry knowledge and valuable member engagement experience that can continue to drive CEDIA forward until such time as a new CEO is appointed."
Sutton has led the push to increase member engagement around the world, facilitating strong partnerships across the industry and providing value-added initiatives and programs for CEDIA members. Prior to joining CEDIA, he spent 13 years as an integrator and served as Chairman of the Board of CEDIA EMEA, prior to the global alignment, and later Treasurer and Vice Chairman of the Global Board of CEDIA. 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 finance and accounting operations, human resources and worldwide administration at CEDIA, having previously been Senior Director of Finance at the organization. Prior to CEDIA, Dickerson worked for more than seven years at the health insurance company, Anthem, Inc. There, he first held the position of Portfolio Director within the IT organization before being promoted to Director of Corporate Accounting and Analysis, where he led the telecommunications sourcing department and Accounting and Analysis equipment for six years. In addition, Dickerson served as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of a financial services organization and as Manager of the global professional services firm, Deloitte.
Sutton and Dickerson will collaborate closely with the CEDIA Board Executive Committee, the CEDIA Board and CEDIA's global staff, operating with clearly defined responsibilities in their new roles. His focus will continue to be on the implementation of CEDIA's strategic plan with its pillars around education, workforce development and cross-industry collaboration. CEDIA is committed to developing and offering educational pathways along with standards, guidelines and best practices to support the goal of building a professional and well-trained workforce; create new talent that will allow the industry to grow; and reach beyond the industry to help raise awareness among CEDIA members.
Tabatha O'Connor is working with Sutton and Dickerson on a short-term basis to ensure a smooth transition. Interim co-CEOs will remain in place until the global search for a new president and CEO is complete.
