PPDS has announced the appointment of accomplished AV expert, Emily Pirtle, further strengthening its sales team in North America. Reaffirming PPDS’ uncompromised commitment to delivering best in class support, service and experiences to customers and partners, Emily has accepted the newly created role of Regional Sales Manager for TOLA, encompassing Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas – four key growth markets representing over 3.5 million small businesses and opportunities. With an accomplished career spanning over 20 years, Texarkana based Emily – a certified Math and Intervention Specialist – brings a diverse set of skills and knowledge to the PPDS North America team, with specialist expertise and leadership experience in sales, account management, client relations, strategic planning, and business development.
In what may be a first in the AV industry, Emily also boasts a unique 360 degree understanding of the education market. Having started her career in the classroom as a teacher, Emily later transitioned into – and excelled in – edutech sales, having gained firsthand insight into the challenges schools face and how best to support their needs and advance learning using technology. Emily’s previous role at a leading AV integration firm saw her supporting over 45 school districts across Texas and Oklahoma, working with executive leaders and administrators, advising them on hardware, software, AV, network infrastructure, digital signage, and security solutions to directly support student and district success.
Originally drawn to PPDS through her dealings with the company, notably impressed by quality of product, as well as service and support provided for educational solutions – Emily will now play a key role in PPDS’ upward trajectory and ambitions in the region, with retail, education, corporate, and hospitality among key target markets.
Reporting to Bruce Wyrwitzke, Director of Sales for North America at PPDS, Emily’s primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, developing and managing key relationships with integrators, resellers, and customers, identifying new sales opportunities and leads, and collaborating with partners.
She will also work with national and international teams to develop and implement new strategies to further increase and expand brand recognition and drive product awareness of PPDS’ evolving portfolio of award winning Philips Professional Displays, and complementary hardware and software solutions, to a wider audience. These include the latest range of Philips digital signage, ePaper and interactive displays, dvLED (indoor and outdoor), and professional TVs, together with advanced cloud management software, Philips Wave, all available across North America.
Discussing her new role, Emily said: “I feel all roads in my career have led me to this moment. PPDS is part of a globally respected brand, with a legacy of introducing world first and cutting edge technologies. What truly stood out to me, though, was the opportunity to work with talented, driven, and genuinely collaborative people. I’m so pleased to be joining the team and to be part of its success.”
Bruce Wyrwitzke added: “Emily’s experience, enthusiasm, and proven commitment to best practice business made her the ideal candidate for this important and exciting role. Texas alone provides some incredible growth opportunities, with the state remaining one of the most resilient and high performing in the US, adding over 125,000 new businesses in 2024**. The education market is also key for us, and Emily’s edutech expertise brings our partners and customers a real wealth of support and knowledge.”
