PROFILE
Philip Giffard
By Shanine Cook
Philip Giffard has never been afraid of change – a fact that has served him very well thus far in both his personal life and career .
Born and raised in Montreal , Giffard had the chance to move around a bit while growing up . Though French is his native language , attending secondary school in Connecticut offered a great opportunity to develop his English skills and experience a different way of life . The same was true of his post-secondary stint in Banff , AB . “ Those experiences really helped me to broaden my horizons ,” he says .
That appreciation for an ever-widening perspective on the world is what ultimately led him into the audiovisual industry and , more specifically , his current role as the president of the Integration Division at Solotech , Canada ’ s largest sound , lighting , and video supplier and integrator and one of the top 10 in North America .
Always being intrigued by technology , Giffard began and spent the majority of his career thus far in the telecommunications integration industry , which he says shares many similarities with its AV counterpart .
“ In both industries , we need to understand our customer ’ s vision and use our expertise to execute it beyond their expectations ,” he says . “ We have to know the best products on the market so that we can recommend the best solutions to our customers . Then , we work with AV manufacturers and experts to ensure we ’ ve got the complete picture and can provide our clients with the best possible solutions .”
Prior to his current stint with Solotech , which began in 2016 in the role of VP of sales and integration , Giffard spent several years with Groupe Proaction , a performance management consulting firm based in Montreal . There , he had the opportunity to work in collaboration with companies from many different industries , and in retrospect , he feels that breadth of experience gave him some of the fundamental tools he would need to manage a dynamic team of professionals – as he does in his current position with Solotech .
Now , Giffard spends his days working alongside “ fantastic people ” with unrivaled expertise in AV integration and a strong passion for their work ; however , their ongoing collective challenge is growing Solotech ’ s
reputation in the system design and integration sector . “ Professionals from the industry know that we have a Rental Division , but we need to create a better awareness about our Sales and Integration Division .”
It ’ s certainly a work in progress – one that will be supported by a newly-created marketing team – though their résumé as it stands now is nothing to sneer at . Giffard ’ s
division has taken on expansive and , in some cases , spectacular projects not only in North America , but all around the world in places like Panama , Dubai , Hong Kong , and Mexico .
“ We are currently laying the foundation , in terms of processes and systems , that will enable us to grow while maintaining our high standards of quality ,” he says of his team ’ s current focus . “ We enjoy a great reputation and want to make sure we always exceed our customers ’ expectations ; therefore , we plan to grow in a very controlled manner .”
With growth comes challenges , and one that Giffard and his team have faced is finding the right people to help spur growth while elevating the quality of Solotech ’ s overall work . “ That is why implementing the right culture is key , and culture is something we take very seriously at Solotech ,” he says . “ Starting with Martin Tremblay , our president and
CEO , we make sure that people participate in creating the vision , that they understand it well , and are able to execute it . We know we need to keep on working hard to remain a top destination for talent in our industry .”
Again , Giffard embraces change , and adapting Solotech ’ s company culture to accelerate growth in his department is a career high point for him thus far . He attributes his success in that regard to having steered previous companies through major industry shifts .
“ In transport , it was from letters to packages ; in telco , from wired to wireless and from voice to data . Those were major transformations in our business models , yet we were able to execute them successfully ,” he shares . “ While the plan is important , the difference is in execution . Having the right team in place enabled us to make those changes much better than our competitors .” That ’ s why he places such a high value on finding the right people to join his team at Solotech .
It ’ s a challenging role , but Giffard appreciates the fast-paced environment and that no two days are alike . He also appreciates the passion inherent in this industry , both within Solotech and their adjacent partners and customers .
“ To be surrounded by such dynamic people is very energizing ,” he enthuses . “ This multi-billion-dollar industry is rapidly growing . A lot of consolidation will be happening in the coming years , which will make it even more exciting . I love it .”
Overseeing a network of nine North American offices , Giffard spends his fair share of time on the road , which makes logging quality time with his family a top priority . He and his three children enjoy being active , with shared interests in golf , snowboarding , and jogging . In fact , Giffard will participate in his first marathon this fall in Chicago .
2018 is full of exciting opportunities for Giffard on multiple fronts . For instance , Solotech is in the process of opening an office in Los Angeles – its fourth in the U . S . – and the company will be continuing its strategy of organic growth coupled with strategic acquisitions . He also hints at something significant in the digital sector coming up in the near future – yet another example of his fondness for change that will surely reap some rewards .
Shanine Cook is an Editorial Assistant with Professional Sound .
20 PROFESSIONAL SOUND