AUDIENCE SYSTEMS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- General Manager, Sales
- in 2009 As a CAD Engineer
Anthony heads up our UK and overseas sales teams; he is the also Manager of our After Sales team and in charge of our upholstery subsidiary Audience Upholstery.
Anthony joined Audience Systems in 2009 as a CAD Engineer, with his only previous CAD experience being work experience here at the age of 14! He trained on the job, working with our sales team to design seating layouts for venues of all types, and eventually becoming Supervisor of our schemes team.
In 2016, he joined our After Sales department, becoming overall Aftersales team manager in 2017, and moving to head our whole Sales operation in 2022. His understanding of our team, clients and products, together with a genuine fondness for spreadsheets, has stood him in good stead.
"I enjoy the variation day to day in this job; we have to respond very quickly to our clients and so it's never dull! I'm also fortunate to work with a dedicated, fun team of people."
Ben joined Audience Systems in 2015 with a background in furniture manufacturing and design. He started in our engineering department, heading the processing team before becoming Operations Manager. Ben's engineering expertise and detailed knowledge of the product has been key in driving the improvement and automation programme in the factory. He has overseen the manufacture of major projects including Swansea Arena and the Walsh Bay complex in Sydney.
Job Titles:
- Sales Executive ( Aftersales )
Beth joined Audience Systems in 2022, having previously worked as a sales negotiator for an estate agent. She's in constant contact with our customers, arranging servicing, refurbishments and maintenance, both from the office and on site.
"I enjoy the site visits and getting to know the customers," says Beth. "The long-term relationships we form with our customers make the job really rewarding. The team here are great too - everyone's friendly and there's no shortage of humour! Plus, every day I'm learning something new."
Outside of work, Beth enjoys working out at the gym, walking her dogs and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager - Northern England, Scotland & Northern Ireland
Brian came to Audience Systems with an impressive CV, having already amassed 18 years in the seating industry. Starting as a Production Controller, Brian soon moved into sales, where he has built his career and expertise ever since.
"It's exciting to join the market leader and to have the opportunity to go out to customers with such a great range of products," says Brian. "The projects Audience Systems have already done speak for themselves, and I look forward to helping the company continue to grow."
Callum joins Audience Systems with a wealth of experience, having spent twelve years in sales and management in the motor trade.
He is now the first point of contact for our customers across the South of England and London, visiting site, preparing specifications and making sure they choose the very best seating for their venue.
Job Titles:
- Project Coordinator - After Sales
Carla has a background in accountancy and customer service and joined Audience Systems' after sales team early in 2015.
Carla's role is varied and challenging - understanding clients' needs and finding innovative solutions on a daily basis. She helps customers with all aspects of after-care, from annual services to parts to refurbishments. Carla is thrilled to be working as part of a busy and enthusiastic team where no two days are the same.
Out of work, Carla is always busy with family and friends. She loves the gym, and puts heart and soul into everything she does, which does lead to one of the most creative bowling techniques known to man.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager - Midlands, Wales and East Anglia
Emily is the first point of call for our customers across Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia.
Emily has 12 years' experience in the seating and contract furnishing industry. She joined Audience Systems in 2011, gaining a deep understanding of our business through roles in customer service, after sales and international sales. In 2016, she left Audience Systems, joining KI Seating and subsequently leading tile manufacturer Original Style.
With her flair and industry knowledge, we are delighted that Emily has now re-joined us to manage one of our busiest territories.
Gary joined the Audience Systems family in 2005 as Aftersales Manager. His remit was to transform our after-sales service and develop the refurbishment business. He brought with him 15 years' experience of running service operations in the motor trade. He was Sales Director from 2013, becoming CEO in 2022. He is also Managing Director of our subsidiary company Audience Upholstery.
In recent years, Gary has helped to achieve unprecedented growth in our business both in the UK and overseas. He has achieved through his determination to drive value for our customers and by recognising and developing strengths and skills within our team. Gary clearly enjoys the interaction with the whole team in Westbury, as well as with distributors and colleagues in our sister companies around the world.
Job Titles:
- After Sales Manager
- in 2016 As Head of European Sales
Head of our after sales team is Gavin Ward. His role is overseeing our vital after sales operation. This is a key part of Audience Systems' business, ensuring that our thousands of customers receive the care they need to keep their seats and platforms functioning for up to 25 years, and sometimes more. After sales is a mini business in its own right, with a sales team, production staff and an operations team, delivering servicing, maintenance, parts and refurbishments. Our after sales team also looks after sales of our staging and Premier Grandstand products.
Gavin joined Audience Systems in 2016 as Head of European Sales, where he spent a year increasing sales in partnership with our European dealer network. He moved into the UK South territory, and subsequently became Head of Sales, overseeing our busy sales team across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australaisa, before moving into his current role in 2025.
Prior to joining Audience Systems, Gavin worked in sales management and after sales roles in the motor trade, where he had built a strong track record in developing relationships, growing business and improving customer satisfaction ratings. As a qualified motor technician, he also had no problem getting to grips with the technical aspects of our products.
Outside work, Gavin is a keen traveller and motorbike enthusiast, whether riding with his mates, or watching Moto GP.
Job Titles:
- Sales Executive, After Sales
Gerrard joined our aftersales team in 2022 having worked in the aftersales department of another seating company, so was ready to hit the ground running! Gerrard's background in mechanical engineering and previous work as a design engineer gives him the ability to work with our customers to solve technical issues quickly and without fuss.
Job Titles:
- International Sales Manager
Jemma is our International Sales Manager, working with clients and dealers in North America, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, South America and Africa, as well as Ireland.
She started with Audience Systems in 2011 as a Customer Services Co-ordinator and joined our team of Sales Managers in 2016. Jemma's role is varied and busy, interpreting the requirements of clients from around the world and building relationships with our dealer network.
Having previously worked for Audience Systems for over twenty years, heading our purchasing department, Keith has recently rejoined the company in the same role. Keith has a detailed knowledge of our products, processes and supply chains and now runs a purchasing department of three who source materials for each contract we work on. He has worked on a raft of major projects such as ExCeL Arena and Leeds Arena.
Louise came to Audience Systems from a career in recruitment to join the busy and varied work of our HR department. With a large team to look after including production, office and site teams, no two days are ever the same!
Louise says, "I work in HR because I love engaging with people, and I'm proud that we have such a great team here at Audience Systems. It's always so satisfying to watch the team grow, or to give out another long service award for 10, 20, even 30 years. That's a testament to how well everyone here works together!"
Outside of work, Louise is a non-stop mother to three children, and enjoys brief respite out in the countryside walking her beloved dog.
Job Titles:
- Sales & Customer Support Team Leader
Maria joined us with a very rich career history, and formidable customer service skills. Her previous roles include managing banks in military installations and working with customers to design bathrooms at a major local retailer.
As well as providing a first point of contact for our customers, Maria forms an invaluable part of our sales team, ensuring quotes, drawings and order acknowledgements reach our customers quickly and accurately and liasing with other departments while our sales managers are out on the road.
Far from taking her foot off the pedal after work, Maria enjoys property renovation and spending time with her busy family.
Nick joined us in 2002 as a CAD Engineer, having just graduated from the University of the West of England with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
He took on various roles in our Engineering department, producing manufacturing drawings for projects both large and small, and designing CAD layouts for customers. In 2008, he became a Senior Engineer and in 2016 was promoted to Engineering Manager.
Nick relishes a challenge, so enjoys taking a lead role when it comes to designing of some of our more complex projects. Most memorable for Nick have been the major arena and convention centre projects including Leeds Arena, Manchester Central, ExCeL in London and most recently London's O 2 Arena.
In his spare time, Nick has a love of mountain biking, enjoying Alpine biking and endurance races. With plenty more trips planned, he aims to see as much of the world as possible on two wheels.
Job Titles:
- Group Marketing & PR Manager
Our marketing professional Nina joined us having worked in marketing for a major office furniture company, and also with marketing agency experience. With a degree in German and Business Studies, she is also holds a Professional Postgraduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Nina's role is varied, from managing the website to planning sponsorships and promotions, giving input to the R&D team, and assisting our overseas partners in promoting our products.
With far too many years' experience of writing about seats, how can the job stay interesting? "So much has changed since I joined the company," says Nina. "We've gone from faxback forms and printed directories to video and social media. The products keep on developing too, so there's always something new to talk about."
Outside of work Nina enjoys time with her family, but also likes to escape for a while to write fiction and sing in a local community choir.
Job Titles:
- Director of Compliance and Business Improvement
Paul's been at Audience Systems since January 2014, when he joined us as Quality and Health and Safety Manager, then becoming Director of Operations. Now Director of Compliance and Business Improvement, Paul works with our whole team to drive forward continuous improvement in the business.
After leaving school, Paul joined the military, and after 9 years moved into the MOD where his interest in quality management and continuous improvement developed.
Having enjoyed spells in Tasmania, Victoria and Perth, Paul has now returned to Wiltshire to be closer to his family. Paul is married and also shares his life and home with two cats who keep each other company while he's cycling, running, swimming and generally being Mr Fitness.
After graduating from the University of the West of England with a BSc in Civil Engineering, Richard started his career working for Strainstall, installing monitoring systems into structures as diverse as heritage buildings, sewers and theme park rides, and subsequently taking his site experience into a project management role. He then worked as a Contracts Engineer for Rotork in Bath, and a Project Manager for Huber Technology, managing major projects to install waste water treatment systems, before joining Audience Systems in 2019.
Richard's project management experience in such a variety of industries serves him well with our clients, who range from theatres and schools to distributors and main contractors. "I enjoy finding solutions to problems," says Richard "a must really, for any project manager. And there is great satisfaction in working constructively with clients, and the departments here, to make sure that everything comes together perfectly."
In his spare time, Richard enjoys an insane amount of running, donning his trainers around 5 times a week and holding a half marathon personal best of 1:39:04. He also likes reading, spending time with his family - and a good dose of armchair sports, particularly if Wales are playing.
Job Titles:
- Service and Spares Co - Ordinator
Our After Sales Co-ordinator Rob has been a pivotal part of the after sales department since 2008, researching solutions for our service customers and creating quotes and manufacturing specifications.
Every service client has very different needs, especially as many of them have seating by other manufacturers. Rob's eye for detail ensures that these key customers get the bespoke solution they need.
Servicing is a key part of Audience Systems' business and Rob enjoys the challenge - and the fun - of being part of a busy team.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager - After Sales
Rob joined our after sales department in 2012. Bringing energy and a love of problem solving to the role, he provides clients with innovative solutions and quotations for servicing, refurbishments, parts and upgrades. He also looks after new product sales of staging and sports grandstands.
Rob particularly enjoys the relationships he forges with clients all over the UK, and he travels far and wide to ensure they are getting the very best from their seating.
A dedicated family man with two young children, Rob relishes outdoor pursuits, has a keen interest in home improvements, and an absurdly competitive streak - which makes him a formidable opponent at racket sports.
We were delighted to have Runar join us in 2023 with ten years' experience working in the European seating industry. Runar works with architects, specifiers and dealers across Europe to help them find the very best seating for their venue -whether it's a theatre, a school or an arena.
He lives in Oslo.
Sara came to us from the HR department of one of the UK's biggest supermarkets, and is now running our HR team.
Job Titles:
- Product Development Manager
Shane joined us as an engineer in 2018. After promotion to Senior Engineer in 2023, he became our Product Development Manager in 2023, developing new products and ensuring that existing products offer everything our customers need.
Job Titles:
- Sales and Customer Support Co - Ordinator
Sila joined us in 2022 with a background in hospitality and customer service.
She works as part of the sales team making sure our customers get the right information at the right time, and ensuring that each unique order is processed smoothly. She is also often the first person you will speak to if you call us here at Audience Systems.
Simon joined Audience Systems in 2022 having previously worked for Honda in Swindon. During 14 years spent working there, he worked his way from production line associate to project manager, controlling various new model events.
After the announcement that Honda's Swindon plant was due to close, Simon set up his own business valeting cars. The business was very successful, but Simon's heart was in project management! Simon has a passion for anything with 4 wheels. He was workshop manager and pit crew for the factory Honda race team (Synchro Motorsport), which competed in the 24 hour series and won the overall championship in 2018.
Simon is now one of our team of project managers, who work closely with our customers and our teams here at the factory to ensure each installation runs smoothly and on time.
Outside of work he likes to spend time with his family and working on the family fleet of cars.
Steve joined our powder coat line in 1992 and worked his way up to TX Supervisor, overseeing the whole of our platform manufacturing section. He then took on the launch of our service and spares department which at that time consisted of two office staff and two site engineers and has since grown enormously. Today he is responsible for co-ordinating on-site activity for both aftersales and new installations. His role is never a quiet one!
Steve says, "My job has changed so much over the years, which some people would see as a downside, but that's what keeps the it enjoyable for me."
In his free time, Steve enjoys dog-walking, plays pool for a local team and has been known to play for the county.