Steven Richards

Steve Richards brings 28 years of leadership and organizational effectiveness to the position of President, Mood Media/Muzak.  Steve continues to lead the transformation of Mood Media and Muzak by setting high standards for operational excellence, with a relentless commitment to exceptional service delivery, financial growth and enhanced profitability.  Prior to joining Muzak, Steve served as CEO for PRC, a global leader for business process outsourcing solutions, serving Fortune 500 clients. His successful and swift turnaround of the PRC business resulted in a strategic sale of the company in 2010, after having exited bankruptcy only two years before. From 2005 to 2008, Steve served as President of Transworld Systems, where he led a major business expansion, delivering record revenues and earnings for the firm. 

While focused on bottom-line results, Steve maintains an active presence throughout the organization, serving as a champion for sales effectiveness and client satisfaction, continuous improvement and innovation at all levels. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Penn State and has completed executive education programs at Penn State, Duke University and the University of Virginia.

On Steve's iPod: Acoustic covers – remakes of the masters that are gritty and real - "Two of Us" as performed by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn, "Wild Horses" by The Sundays, "Train in Vain" by Third Eye Blind and "Don't Go Back to Rockville" by 10,000 Maniacs.

Ray Berry

With more than 12 years experience in public practice and in various operational finance and corporate roles in television broadcasting and business services, Ray Berry provides seasoned international financial leadership grounded in operational efficiencies. As CFO, Ray shapes Muzak’s go-to-market pricing policies, manages financial reporting, and looks for opportunities to improve financial processes. Prior to joining Mood Media as Head of Finance in 2010, Ray served as Group Financial Controller for Transcom Worldwide, a global customer and credit management services provider, where he was responsible for FPA activities, mergers & acquisitions, financial operations and compliance. Prior to Transcom Worldwide, Ray led financial affairs for a Pay-TV start-up division within Modern Times Group, a media company with the largest geographical footprint in Europe. Ray oversaw the financial controls for managing year-over-year double-digit revenue growth, developed new business plans for new television channels and end-user pricing models and participated in structuring multi-year licensing arrangements with content rights holders. In the course of his career, Ray has spent time in 25 different countries worldwide, a rich perspective offering a wide range of best practices. Ray holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Birmingham (UK), and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

On Ray’s iPod – Mostly UK Indie bands such as Stone Roses, Idlewild, Charlatans, James, Inspiral Carpets, Libertines and Babyshambles.

Ken Eissing

With more than 18 years of sales and operational leadership experience in the B2B and B2C service industries, Ken Eissing brings a proven track record of success in driving revenue and achieving optimal operational performance through strategic planning and innovation. As Executive Vice President of Local Sales and Marketing, Ken is focused on developing and supporting our North American field sales organization and corporate marketing functions. Prior to joining Muzak and Mood Media, Ken served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Transworld Systems, Inc. where he led a field sales operation with more than 750 sales associates across multiple regions and districts. He managed all aspects of the business, including sales, marketing, product strategy, collections operations and customer and back-office operations. Prior to Transworld, Ken served in a variety of leadership roles at AT&T including marketing, product delivery, and sales. Ken holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a Bachelors of Science in Finance & Economics from the State University of New York at Albany. Ken has also completed executive education programs at Thunderbird, the University of Southern California, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

On Ken’s iPod: A diverse mix to satisfy any mood, including Classic Rock, Modern Country, 80s Metal, Soft Rock and Hip Hop. Favorites artists include Zeppelin, U2, Petty, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Metallica, AC/DC, Jimmy Buffett, Neil Diamond and Eminem.

Mark Elfenbein

As President of Mood Media North America, with oversight of the combined company’s Major Account Sales and Visual Solutions, Mark brings more than 15 years of business development and senior leadership experience in the music and entertainment industry to Muzak and Mood Media.  In his role, Mark focuses on the acquisition and development of new major national and global accounts, the expansion of our digital signage/visual solutions practice as well as the overall management of the Mood Media North America division (previously known as Trusonic).  Prior to joining Mood Media in 2008, he served as Chief Operating Officer of LiveUniverse, a network of 30+ online entertainment properties with over 40 million users.  He also served as Senior Vice President of Business Development for Fun Technologies (an online gaming company listed on the London and Toronto stock exchanges which was sold to Liberty Media in 2006 at a valuation in excess of $400M). At Fun Technologies, he co-founded SkillJam.com (now known as Worldwinner.com), the Internet's largest online pay-to-play gaming company with over 30 million registered members.  During this time, Mark structured the Company's digital media partnerships with eBay, Disney, AOL and Microsoft.  In the 1990s, Mark was Vice President of A&R and Sales for K-tel International, the music industry's largest compilation company, where he executive produced over 150 music compilations and received a Billboard music award and RIAA Gold record.  Mark is currently a voting member of the Recording Academy Grammy awards as well as the Latin Grammy awards.

On Mark’s iPod:  Highlights include “Root Down” by the Beastie Boys, “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young, “Follow the Leader” by  Eric B & Rakim, “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent and “Baby Come Back” by Player.
 

Robert Finigan

With more than 15 years spent developing brand strategies for top retail, product, fashion and consumer brands, Bob brings a wealth of media experience to Muzak and has served in senior leadership roles in marketing, product, programming, and sales. As the founder of Touch, Muzak’s sensory branding agency, he provides innovation with technology through integrated media solutions to regional, national and global brands. Prior to Muzak, Bob brings a unique blend of start-up and big business, including Chief Experience Officer at a successful technology startup, Vice President at Bank of America, and various leadership roles in advertising and new media design firms. Bob is recognized as an award-winning creative director, and speaks regularly on branding and has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR and MSNBC, and in Fast Company and Time Magazine. He holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and served has also been a professor in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

On Bob's iPod: The Smith's, Beastie Boys, Whiskey Town, The Strokes, Arcade Fire, and has a strange fascination with old-school hip hop.

Christopher Williams

Having spent more than 17 years shaping strategic initiatives and building highly scalable technology platforms in global corporations and start-up companies, Chris applies a unique blend of market insight and innovation to ensure that Muzak delivers on our promise to provide forward-looking, integrated solutions for our clients. Chris currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Muzak Media Group with day-to-day responsibility for Marketing, Licensing, Programming, Platform Development, and Technology & Service Delivery. Prior to joining Muzak in 2009, Chris co-founded Fern Templeton, a private investment and advisory services firm, and served in senior management roles at Bank of America, Connection to eBay (joint venture between Accenture and eBay), American Express and Ketera Technologies. Chris holds a Bachelor's degree in Materials and Operations Management from Bowling Green State University, and he has completed executive education programs at St. Johns University and Harvard Business School. An avid sports fan, Chris coaches youth soccer and baseball

On Chris's iPod: All kinds of rock - classic, new and alternative. Bob Mould/Sugar, Beastie Boys, Pixies, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, Guns 'n Roses, Black Crowes, Kings of Leon, U2, The Killers, Social Distortion and Ben Harper.

Diedra Ward

With more than 20 years experience in corporate law, Dee Ward manages Muzak legal affairs, including strategic risk management, legal compliance, litigation management and company transactions with clients, suppliers and licensors. Prior to joining Muzak, Dee represented media, technology and manufacturing companies in transactional matters. She also served as Senior Counsel for Glenayre Electronics and as in-house counsel and Channel Marketing Manager for American Express. Recognized for her innovative, practical approach and her ability to partner within the business to identify new opportunities and navigate potential challenges, Dee plays a critical role in supporting the revenue and growth objectives of Muzak while minimizing risks. In her own words, her focus is to make sure that Muzak does the right thing – for our customers, our employees, our shareholders, our licensors and the artists whose music gives us a richer life experience. Dee completed her undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and she earned her JD at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

On Dee's iPod: Everything – classic/contemporary rock, pop, blues, R&B, jazz – you name it!

Anthony Armeni

As the Director of Human Resources at Muzak, Tony Armeni leverages 25 years of experience in the Human Resources field to attract, support and develop the diverse talent base that defines and delivers Muzak to our clients and their customers. His areas of expertise include talent management, talent acquisition, performance management, professional development and management/leadership development. Prior to joining Muzak, Tony served in strategic and operational positions at global Fortune 500 companies such as Transamerica, Whirlpool Corporation, Kennametal Inc., Kvaerner, CSX World Terminals and Atotech USA in locations across the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Tony has a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resources from Ohio University, an MBA from Cleveland State University and a lifetime certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources from the Human Resources Certification Institute. He is active in the community as a career coach and mentor.

On Tony's iPod: Jazz and Big Band – Richard Elliott, Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr.