People On The Move

PPDS leans into International Women's Day with executive appointment

Courtesy of Adobe Stock.

March 8, 2023

Kristen O'Conner, sales operations manager for NA at PPDS. Courtesy of PPDS.

Andrea Herczeg-Bakker, head of operations for EMEA at PPDS. Courtesy of PPDS.

Vicky Fox, head of communications for EMEA and NA at PPDS. Courtesy of PPDS.

Clara Guerra ten Broek, lead Europe sales support, TP Vision (PHILIPS, AOC, PPDS + E-commerce). Courtesy of PPDS.

PPDS, the exclusive worldwide distributor of Philips Professional Display Solutions, is marking International Women's Day with the appointment of Kristen O'Connor as sales operations manager for North America, which is part of an ongoing recruitment drive with a goal of 50% staff increase in North America in 2023, according to a press release. O'Connor brings more than a decade of industry experience that has included leadership roles at Planar Systems and other firms. Based in Oregon, she will report to Joe King, VP for Hospitality at PPDS.

"I am delighted to have joined PPDS and to be part of the company's journey as it continues to set a new benchmark for the pro AV industry, delivering truly world leading, highly innovative solutions together with unrivalled customer support," O'Connor said in the release. "As PPDS continues to grow rapidly, we need to ensure we have a solid, scalable structure and sales process. My ambition is to build out a successful operations team that will help propel the success of the overall sales team, support strategic initiatives, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. I believe my ability to recognize and prioritize challenges, develop ideas for potential solutions and then execute them with thoughtfulness and a focus on collaboration makes me an effective asset to any team."

"2023 is another important year for PPDS as we continue an accelerated phase of growth in North America with the aim to achieve a top three position in the marketplace," Nick Begleries, commercial VP for North America at PPDS, said in the release. "To achieve our ambitions, it's vital we have the right people in our teams, those who want to join the business on its journey and share our desire for delivering truly unrivaled support to our customers. Having worked with Kristen before, and seeing her dedication and commitment in previous roles, I'm thrilled to be working with her again. On behalf of PPDS, I welcome Kristen to the team."

PPDS leadership insights on International Women's Day

PPDS also provided comments from women in leadership positions related to the news along with the International Women's Day holiday, included in a companion press release.

"Being a supply chain operations leader, as a woman, is a challenging role in itself in our male-dominated industry," Andrea Herczeg-Bakker, head of operations for EMEA at PPDS, said in the release. "In PPDS I feel that women are embraced, empowered and encouraged to participate in shaping the future of the business. I am proud that PPDS is #Open2womenintechnology #Open2you."

"At PPDS our people from around the globe come together as one team two or three times a year and, for me, it is always a source of great pride that, while we are in a very male-dominated industry, women are well represented, bucking the trend for around a 5:1 ratio to around 3:1," Vicky Fox, head of communications for EMEA and NA at PPDS, said in the release. "From sales and operations, through to product management and communications, at PPDS women have a strong voice, inspiring the industry — and our children — into the future. I'm super proud to be a woman working in AV."

"I am thrilled to be part of a technology company and bringing a different approach or perspective to all projects I am involved in," Clara Guerra ten Broek, lead Europe sales support, TP Vision (PHILIPS, AOC, PPDS + E-commerce), said in the release. "I hope to be an inspiration to other women, so they too can embrace the technology world and join us breaking the underlying myth that this is a male industry."

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Philips Professional Display Solutions (PPDS)

At PPDS, we help bring the digital to life. We’re part of the largest display manufacturer in the world, TPV Technology. And we proudly hold the exclusive global rights to bring Philips branded digital signage, LED displays, professional TVs and monitors to life. What’s more, we have the innovation to bring that together with complementary.

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