Martin Professional Welcomes Michael Straun and Nick Hansen as New EMEA Lighting Designer Relationship Managers

Created specifically to facilitate close working relationships with end users throughout the region, the EMEA Lighting Designer Relationship Manager role involves collaborating with lighting designers, Martin distributors and the rental market in all sectors, including television, theatre, touring and more. In addition to bringing real-world experience, first-hand product knowledge and industry connections to the position, Michael and Nick will also provide invaluable insight for research and development at Martin.
 

“We are excited to welcome Michael Straun and Nick Hansen onto the Martin team, especially in the current business climate,” said Ben Payne, Head of Lighting, Martin EMEA. “As working lighting professionals, they each bring valuable first-hand industry experience to the role. Having used Martin and competitors’ products in the field, their insight and perspective will be indispensable for forming relationships with end users and contributing to product development.”
 

Michael Straun is a two-time Knight of Illumination Award-winning lighting designer and director from the UK who has toured the world for the past 15 years while working with artists such as The 1975, Shania Twain, Björk, The xx and Jamie xx. Passionate about the environment, Michael recently received a grant from Arts Council England to fund a study on sustainability within lighting design.
 

Nick Hansen has worked professionally on shows, events and productions all over the globe, including long-term stints in Las Vegas, audition tours for Britain’s Got Talent and major one-off events like the 2019 Special Olympics and 2020 UAE Commemoration Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi. With a focus on lighting programming, Nick is keen on increasing awareness and adoption of the Martin P3 platform among the lighting community. Nick is also studying for a Qualification in Management and Leadership.
 

ABOUT HARMAN PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS
HARMAN Professional Solutions engineers and manufactures audio, video, lighting and control (AVLC) products for entertainment and enterprise markets, including live performance, audio production, large venue, cinema, retail, corporate, education, government, hospitality, broadcast and more. With leading brands including JBL Professional®, AKG®, Martin®, AMX®, Soundcraft®, BSS Audio®, Crown®, dbx Professional®, DigiTech® and Lexicon Pro®, HARMAN Professional delivers powerful, innovative and reliable solutions that are designed for world-class performance. HARMAN Professional Solutions is a Strategic Business Unit of HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

ABOUT HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.