Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced today the appointment of Matt Janopaul as Chief Financial Officer, who will report directly to Andy Mooney, Chief Executive Officer.  Janopaul succeeds Jim Broenen who retired in December 2021 after a distinguished 15-year career with the company, with the past 13 years serving as CFO. With the transition from private equity to the long-term capital provided by Servco Pacific, Inc. (Servco), FMIC’s investor since 1985, Janopaul’s focus will be centered around key strategic growth initiatives. These include continuing to deliver growth consistent with culture-driven brands, optimization of FMIC’s global footprint from a sales and supply standpoint, the development of a consumer-focused digital ecosystem that incorporates products and software from its recent acquisition of PreSonus. 

“I am pleased to welcome Matt Janopaul as FMIC’s new Chief Financial Officer,” said Andy Mooney, FMIC CEO. “He has been a valued partner to the company for many years through his role initially at Weston Presidio, and more recently at Servco. Matt has extensive knowledge of FMIC’s history, current operations and future growth plans. His financial acumen, leadership experience and company knowledge will facilitate a smooth transition in FMIC’s finance function, and enable him to quickly contribute to FMIC’s world-class leadership team as we support the 16 million new players that have joined our community in the last two years.”

“One of my first comments to Fender’s Board of Directors upon joining the company in 2015 was: ‘For a company its size, the finance function way out-punches its weight class,” said Mooney. “Jim’s leadership of the finance department at FMIC has been exceptional. He built a world-class team that has guided the company through challenges, and set the stage for our current success. However, Jim does more than lead the finance function, much more. He’s been a trusted advisor to FMIC’s executive team in general, and to myself in particular. Every key decision made over the last six years was made with his counsel and guidance. Jim has developed many personal friendships over the years. I consider myself fortunate to be his friend, and believe our friendship will be lifelong. It’s been my privilege to have worked with him, and I wish him, his wife Gina, and his family my very best wishes for the future.”

Janopaul brings a unique perspective and longtime partnership to FMIC, joining from his most recent role as Managing Director of Servco Pacific Capital (SPC), the direct investment arm of Servco Pacific, Inc. (Servco), the largest for-profit private company in Hawaii. SPC’s largest investment to date is the majority ownership of FMIC. Since 2001, Janopaul has held various roles with Fender, ranging from investor and board member, to President and Chief Operating Officer. As COO, he was responsible for the daily operations of the company including accounting and finance, corporate development, IT, manufacturing and supply chain. Prior to joining Fender, Janopaul was a General Partner of Weston Presidio, a leading $3.3 billion private equity firm with offices in San Francisco and Boston, where he was actively involved in management buyouts, recapitalizations, leveraged consolidations and growth financings across the consumer, industrial, service and publishing sectors.

“We are all so thankful for Matt’s contributions to Servco. His leadership has played an important role in the unprecedented success of our business, including his work with FMIC through Servco Pacific Capital,”  said Mark Fukunaga, Chairman and CEO of Servco. “Matt’s passion for the music industry and Fender’s success has always been clear, which makes us confident that this is the right move for Fender and Servco. We congratulate Matt, and look forward to working with him in his new role.”

“Over the past twenty years, I have cared deeply about Fender and its mission to support artists at every stage of their musical journey. What makes FMIC so special are the people throughout the organization  – from the factory floors in Corona and Ensenada to the global sales team – it is an amazing culture,” said Janopaul. “I look forward to the opportunity to work with Andy and Fender’s industry-leading executive team as well as join the talented finance organization that Jim Broenen has built. This is an exciting time to be a part of this new future and the Company’s long-term roadmap of innovative products and digital offerings.” 

Headshot and bio for Jim Broenen and Matt Janopaul available here. 

For technical specs, additional information on new Fender products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fender.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender. 

Seymour Duncan is pleased to announce that Alex Semple has been promoted to the position of Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships.

“Alex’s deep domain knowledge, along with a business acumen honed over 20 years with the company, puts him in a prime position to create new exclusive product opportunities with our valued partners. His roles in technical support and export sales culminated in his managing our global sales channel. As a result, Alex has a multifaceted understanding of the customer experience that, when coupled with his participation in the new products development process, places him in prime position to add value to both our existing and future business relationships,” said Diana Wilson, CEO.

Said Alex of the new role, ”It’s always great to play a part in the success of a new product, especially when it’s directly connected to a specific customer or geographic region. During my time as International Sales Manager, I conceived exclusive product offerings for the UK, Japan and the Scandinavian market. Being in a role where I can create innovative solutions to delight our customers is very exciting to me.”

A self-professed metal maniac, one of Alex’s prize possessions is his black lefty ’92 Gibson SG Standard loaded with a pair of Black Winter humbuckers which he co-developed with Custom Shop Manager, Derek Duncan. “I’m proud to say my guitar is equipped with the very first Black Winters to come off the production floor.” Alex and Derek also dreamed up the Slug humbucker, Seymour Duncan’s highest output passive pickup to date. “I’d been listening to a lot of Cathedral and Electric Wizard at the time and simply asked Derek how hot we could wind a humbucker, and Slug was the answer.“ Outside of work, Alex can be found earnestly swinging the irons at any one of the Central Coast’s numerous golf courses.

Seymour Duncan is pleased to announce that Kevin Kroeger has joined the company as its Chief Product and Innovation Officer.

“In this new role, Kevin will be responsible for spearheading an organizational initiative aimed at innovating and diversifying Seymour Duncan’s New Products strategy. A well-respected industry veteran, in addition to his 15 years at Fender, Kevin most recently ran product development for Rockford Fosgate in the mobile audio space. His unique skill set, which combines a passion for music and guitar with exceptional leadership chops and a fresh perspective on what will drive success in MI, both today and in the future, gives me every confidence that Kevin can help us achieve the very ambitious growth goals we’ve set for the company, ” said Diana Wilson, CEO.

Said Kevin of the new role, “I’m just so excited to return to MI with the Seymour Duncan team—it truly is like coming home again. As a long time user and enthusiast, I am thrilled to be on the inside with a guiding hand. Our team is exceptional and has set the bar for what pickups could be for the last 45 years. Going forward, we will honor our heritage and drive innovation into existing as well as new opportunities in order to expand musicians’ soundscapes and expressions.”

Kevin is an avid indie rock, hardcore punk, and overall music fanatic. As a contributor to the Detroit hardcore scene in the 1990s, he was obsessed with any and every band that Orange County’s Revelation Records released in the ’80’s and ’90’s. His favorite guitar is a 1966 Guild Starfire IV, which he describes as having been “unceremoniously and amateurishly refinished in walnut, with a couple of sloppy neck resets and visible glue squeeze-out, but with all of the charm of a well-loved guitar. And even better, one that I’m not afraid of dropping or dinging.” This guitar shared hands and affection at Fender R&D with the legendary Dan Smith, who gave Kevin his start in MI at Fender. Kevin and Amy, his wife of 23 years, spend their time hiking and traveling to Disneyland with their three children.

Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand, is proud to announce the addition of Anne Rohosy to the newly created role of Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer, Gibson Brands. As a member of Gibson’s worldwide leadership team, Anne is an expert team builder and will be responsible for expanding Gibson’s organizational development and business transformation worldwide with her expertise in global corporate strategy, change management, and operational execution. “Gibson has successfully turned around, you can feel the pride of over 6,394 years of the Gibson team’s collective experience in making Guitars, Amps, Pedals, and Gear,” says Anne Rohosy, Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer, Gibson Brands. “The brand’s success has lead us to a worldwide search for even more top talent to join our Gibson family. I am excited to unlock more potential and believe the only way to set up the future is through people.”
“Anne joins Gibson, in this newly created position, at the perfect time”, says James “JC” Curleigh, President and CEO, Gibson Brands. “As we set the stage for the future, Anne will bring her proven experience, combined with her passionate approach, to the challenges ahead.” 
Anne joins Gibson with 30 years of experience successfully building global brands in the sporting goods, tech, fashion, and lifestyle industries. Anne has held successful President and Director level executive roles in multiple Fortune 500 companies and currently sits on two global company advisory boards in the consumer apparel and technology space. A global leader and innovator, Anne has won multiple awards for empowering women to move forward in their careers in the business community. As part of the United Nations Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles Leadership Group, Anne has worked to guide and women in the marketplace and communities across the globe. Anne puts into action bringing new talent into the industry and has long understood that the diversity of the business and people is the key to unlocking future growth on a worldwide scale. Prior to joining the Gibson team, Anne served as Executive Vice President and President, Americas, and President of the Docker’s Brand at Levi Strauss & Co., and multiple Director Level roles in the Americas, Europe, and LTAM while at Nike Inc.Anne presently holds advisory board positions at Brooks Sports, Inc. and the global tech firm Volumental where her insights and operational strategies continue to help the brands strategically expand in international markets, implement development strategies, as well as achieve balance within Omni Channels. Music, amps, and guitars have filled Anne’s home for years. Her husband is an accomplished musician, guitarist, songwriter, and producer. Her sons are avid guitar players, all of whom are thrilled that she is joining Gibson Brands!

Rhythm Band Instruments, LLC, announced today the acquisition of all assets, including all intellectual property, related to the Silvertone brand from the Samick Music Corporation. The historic Silvertone brand was created over a century ago by Sears, Roebuck & Company as its “house” brand for consumer electronics and musical instruments, most famously guitars and amplifiers. The brand has been owned by Samick Music since 2001.

“Just over a year ago we announced our exclusive distribution agreement for the Silvertone brand,” said Brad Kirkpatrick, President of Rhythm Band. “Clearly, that has gone really well – better than our initial expectations. So, we approached Samick Music with an attractive proposal to acquire the brand outright and, we are pleased to announce, they agreed, and we closed that transaction effective September 30.” We are excited to continue the excellent efforts undertaken by Samick to reestablish the Silvertone brand and look forward to doing our own work in taking this iconic brand forward.”

Rhythm Band Instruments has been distributing musical instruments and music education material from Fort Worth, Texas for over 60 years. In 2009, the company acquired the Boomwhackers^® brand of tuned musical tubes. In 2016 it bought the Toca Percussion® brand of hand percussion instruments, and Grover Pro Percussion^® joined the company’s stable of world-class brands in 2019. Rhythm Band also exclusively distributes a number of other brands, including Big Joe Stompbox^®, Chromanotes^®, Kidsplay^® and ChromAharP^® world-wide, as well as Vintage^® guitars, in the U.S. only, via RBI Music.

“We could not be more thrilled that we now own the Silvertone brand,” noted Rick Taylor, Product Manager for RBI Music. “The opportunity is immense for RBI and this iconic American guitar brand.   We’ve got plans for some minor tweaks to the existing lineup, several new electrics, more colors, accessories – all of it. Watch this space for further developments. We can’t wait for NAMM 2022. Guitarists around the globe are in for a treat!”

The Music People (TMP), leading supplier of musical instrument accessories and pro-audio products, is excited to announce the promotion of longtime employee Tom Tedesco to president and CEO. Sharon Hennessey and John Hennessey, current co-presidents, will be appointed chairwoman and chairman. Jam Industries, a leading value-added pro-AVL distributor in the US and global accessories supplier, which recently rebranded as Exertis | Jam, acquired TMP in 2020 and has facilitated TMP’s continued growth and this opportunity.

Over the years, Tom has worked his way up in the company, and in his most recent position of vice president of Sales and Business Development, led the company’s continued growth in all the markets it serves domestically and globally.

“Tom has demonstrated excellent judgment and strong leadership with a focus on our relationships. The time is right for him as well as the business to take this logical next step, and we couldn’t be more proud of him and the whole team,” said Sharon Hennessey.

“I am so excited and humbled for the opportunity to lead the TMP team. I am extremely appreciative of the friendship and mentorship I received from John and Sharon over the last 11 years that prepared me for the next step in my career. Thank you to Marty and Stuart for their confidence in me to build on our momentum into the future,” said Tom Tedesco.

“Promoting Tom to president and CEO is a clear sign of the caliber of the talent that John and Sharon have assembled.  Growth leads to opportunity, and we plan to see much more growth and opportunity for others at TMP in the near future,” said Stuart Frenkel, president and CEO of Exertis | Jam.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement of merger with PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana based brand is the leading designer and manufacturer of recording and live-sound hardware and software solutions that solve real-world problems for working creatives.
“We are thrilled to welcome everyone on the PreSonus team to the FMIC family and excited about the future growth opportunities available to both companies,” said Andy Mooney, CEO Fender Musical Instruments Corp. “Our teams share the same passion for music, the same commitment to innovation and the same desire to inspire and equip current and future generations of artists”
“I would like to extend our utmost gratitude to our loyal Baton Rouge and Louisiana community that have supported PreSonus for the last two decades,” said Kevin Couhig, Chairman of PreSonus. “It has been wonderful being a part of this incredible journey with PreSonus. I’m excited to see what the future holds going forward”
“After more than 25 years PreSonus feels it has found the right partner to support us as we continue our growth,” said Jim Odom, Founder/CSO PreSonus. “We look forward to showing our current and future music community what this opportunity means for them.”
“PreSonus and Fender’s combined vision, the way we see the future of music creation, and the fundamental alignment of goals has made this an exciting idea since the first conversation,” said Jim Boitnott, CEO PreSonus.
For more than 75 years, Fender has been committed to creating tools supporting artists. With each technological advancement, the way that people create and record music is constantly evolving. While most guitar and bass players still plug into amplifiers, many also plug their instruments into interfaces, using virtual amps and effects to create their sounds. Players of all levels are spending more time online than ever before and using a variety of products and technologies to learn, practice, jam and perform, record and share. This modern workflow has expanded the traditional signal chain to include capturing and distributing creative content to the world. Fender envisions an ecosystem that seamlessly integrates hardware and software to create an effortless end-to-end experience for customers at all levels in their creative journey, and joining forces with PreSonus makes that possible.
Founded in 1995 by Jim Odom and Brian Smith, PreSonus designs innovative audio products that provide professional sound quality and features without sacrificing affordability. Throughout its history, PreSonus has built innovative tools for musicians, content creators, producers, and audio engineers. Today, PreSonus is a leading designer and manufacturer of both recording and live-sound hardware and software solutions that solve real-world problems for real working creatives. 

• Completion of this merger is subject to U.S. regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. At this time, FMIC and PreSonus will continue to operate as separate entities.
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as legal counsel to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.
• PreSonus was advised by Robert W. Baird & Co. and legal counsel was provided by Butler Snow LLP.

For technical specs, additional information on new Fender products and to find a retail partner near you, visit www.fender.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Fender.

Seymour Duncan is very pleased to announce that Ben Arsenault has been promoted from Director to Vice President of Operations.

“In the short time Ben has been part of the Seymour Duncan family, he has been instrumental in helping the company achieve a set of very ambitious growth initiatives directed at helping our customers keep pace with their expanding demand. Ben has worked tirelessly to help us navigate our way through a series of complex Covid-related challenges, and through his efforts our Operations team has achieved extraordinary results. Ben is an exemplary leader whose customer focus and commitment to driving relationships with all our partners, makes him an integral part of the organization. Someone I am confident can help successfully guide our newly energized company into the future,” said Diana Wilson, CEO. 

An avid guitarist, Berklee School of Music graduate and Seymour Duncan fan since the age of 13; Ben is also a dedicated environmentalist and devoted husband and father who, with his wife Nicole, is preparing to welcome their second child into the world.