Longtime President and CEO Michael Branning Retains Senior Executive Role: Names Avtec Executive Kevin Williams As Company President
Lexington, SC – May 24, 2016 – Avtec Inc. – the nation’s leading independent provider of mission-critical Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP) dispatch console systems – today announced changes within its senior management team to support its continued growth and leverage emerging technologies that continue to transform the dispatch communications landscape.
Michael Branning, son of company founder Troy Branning, has worked at Avtec for 30 years, including the last 22 as president and chief executive officer. “When I look at how the roles of president and CEO at Avtec have evolved in terms of the complexity of the products we develop, test, and support; our expanded business model that includes a network of resellers and technology partners worldwide; and the pace of change in the voice communications market; it is clear that separating these functions will allow us to be more responsive to market demands and the evolving needs of our customers,” said Branning, who announced the changes.
To ensure sustainable growth, in his role as CEO, Branning will lead the company’s technology strategy, set long-term business direction, monitor company performance, and focus on company culture. Avtec’s deep bench strength on its leadership team has created new opportunities within the organization. To support additional focus on the company’s business trajectory, Branning has promoted Avtec executive Kevin Williams to the role of president. Williams has served in senior leadership positions at the company for the past five years, most recently as vice president of product development. Williams will oversee the operation of the organization, formulate and execute the company’s strategic plan, and provide leadership for the company’s employees and senior management. Branning commented, “During his tenure with Avtec, Kevin has proven to be a trusted advisor and has demonstrated his skills for strategic execution, developing people, and inspiring teams.”
Tim Shaffer, former director of administration, has been named chief administrative officer, overseeing finance, accounting, legal, facilities, and the supply chain. Tracy West, former director of human resources, has been named vice president of human resources. In addition, Heyward Leaphart, former director of engineering, has been selected for the new role of vice president of engineering, reporting directly to Williams. The expanded leadership team now has representation of all major functional areas of the business, ensuring collaboration that helps us serve our customers more effectively.
“We’ve developed a great group of senior leaders over the past five years, which supports this next step in Avtec’s growth and history. I’m very energized to be able to focus on strategy and technology, while Kevin Williams leads business execution, Tim Shaffer focuses on our assets, and Tracy West works to retain and develop our most valuable resource: our people,” said Branning.
About Avtec, Inc.
Avtec, Inc. provides pure Internet Protocol (IP) dispatch console solutions for the transportation, public safety, utility, business and industry, and government markets. For more than 35 years, customers have chosen Avtec’s award-winning technology for their mission-critical dispatch centers. There are more than 5,000 Scout Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) consoles installed worldwide.