Atlona has promoted Thorsten Goecke to Director of Sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), effective immediately. Based in Munich, Germany, Thorsten reports to Ralph J. Lolies, Panduit’s SVP/Managing Director for EMEA.
In alignment with Atlona’s growing sales presence and partner network worldwide, Thorsten will work closely with his EMEA regional sales managers (RSMs) to boost demand, sales, and brand awareness for Atlona’s industry-leading AV over IP distribution, connectivity, and control solutions for commercial and residential applications.
Thorsten has been instrumental in the implementation of Atlona’s shift to a “solutions-oriented” sales approach in the DACH region, and is responsible for many of the company’s largest AV over IP and networked control installations in Europe. Thorsten is now working closely with top management at Atlona and parent company Panduit to develop a unified brand message and go-to-market strategy, enabling EMEA RSMs to effectively compete for new business based upon a robust value proposition for AV and IT convergence.
Capitalizing on Panduit’s dominance in the IT and network infrastructure market, Thorsten’s EMEA sales team intends to deliver targeted solutions for design consultants, planners, and systems integrators to consider as early in their end-customers’ project timelines as possible to maximize sales opportunities. He is also bullish on recent Atlona innovations that strengthen the company’s All-IP Meeting Space message, including the second-generation Velocity IP-based AV control platform; and the quickly-growing Omega Series of 4K/BYOD-capable presentation and collaboration products.
“Thorsten brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role around the unique sales and marketing challenges inherent to the EMEA region, including an expansive geography and broad cultural diversity,” said Ilya Khayn, CEO, Atlona. “His exceptional interpersonal skills and technical expertise brings value to both his EMEA team and large customer base that will only enhance Atlona’s global success.”
Thorsten came to Atlona in 2014 with an initial focus on the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) market, and later assumed responsibilities for Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and parts of Russia and Africa. He subsequently played an instrumental role in developing the UK market, including the management of UK distribution partners and channels.
Prior to joining Atlona, Thorsten served as Director of EMEA Sales for Icron Technologies, a manufacturer of high-performance video and USB extension solutions, from 2012-2014. He also served as Managing Director of Gefen Distribution GmbH, from 2008-2011; and Sales Director, AV Connectivity products for SDI GmbH from 2001-2008.
“I’m enthusiastic about this next chapter in my career at the helm of Atlona’s sales efforts across the vast EMEA region,” Thorsten said. “Considering the breadth of our solutions portfolio, and the inclusion of cutting-edge capabilities like USB-C connectivity, Atlona is especially well-positioned to deliver competitive solutions to today’s AV/IT customers and their demanding commercial and residential installations.”
