Women in the AV industry have long been trailblazers, breaking barriers, driving innovation and shaping the future of technology and integration. Their vision, leadership and expertise have left an enduring mark, inspiring progress across the field. This International Women’s History Month, Commercial Integrator is proud to honor their achievements with a special series. Throughout the month, we’ll be shining a light on some of the most remarkable women in AV, celebrating their contributions and sharing their stories to inspire and empower others in our industry.
Here, we spotlight Irene Sasso, director of member services at AQAV. She shares her unique and inspiring journey in the AV industry after a neighbor introduced her to an opportunity at TSI, where she served as an admin for the engineering department. Her early days in the industry were not without challenges, including a difficult workplace experience that temporarily led her to leave the field. However, her resilience and strong connections brought her back to the AV world. Read #HerAVStory below.
Interview with Irene Sasso, Director of Member Services at AQAV
Commercial Integrator: How did you get into the AV industry?
Irene Sasso: I had been working in Manhattan for an accounting firm when my next-door neighbor, Brett Sandgren heard from his mom that I wasn’t happy and stopped in to see if I wanted to interview with the young company he was working for. That conversation landed me a job with TSI, and I became the admin to the engineering department.
CI: Have you encountered any difficulties or obstacles in your AV industry career?
Sasso: Unfortunately, yes after several encounters, it led to me leaving the industry. One of the owners was sympathetic and attempted to fix the situation, the other decided that there was not another position for me, due to my high skill level, so I could either stay where I was or I could “shrug,” so I left.
CI: Whom would you point to as the most influential and helpful mentors in your career? What did they do to help you?
Sasso: The most helpful mentors to my career, were Mario Maltese and Lorrie Morrow. Although I left AV, I continued to work in other industries until I had a child, and I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home. When I decided to re-enter the workforce Lorrie and Mario asked me to come work with them. They had started their own company, Audio Visual Resources. They both where super excited to have me join AVR and gave me something no other employer ever did; faith in the ability to do the job and to make changes for the better and grow. Mario was always interested in streamlining processes so that we worked better not harder. If you had a problem, he was more than happy to work out the details, as long as you didn’t just come to him with a problem but also the beginnings of a solution. Lorrie was not only my biggest champion, but she is also my sister. At a time when I needed a job, she instantly wanted to hire me, not because I was family but because she knew she could trust me to do the job and that is not something I have ever taken for granted.
CI: What is your proudest career accomplishment?
Sasso: My proudest accomplishment was when Lorrie and Mario hired me to be the Director of Member Services for the Association for Quality in Audio Visual Systems, Inc. (AQAV). Their faith in me and my skills to help establish our registration process and update the website, when I knew next to nothing about it was both terrifying and exciting. Since that day, I have been the administration side of this non-for-profit. I handle whatever comes my way and hopefully have made them proud of the work I have done since I started with AQAV 13 years ago.
CI: What do you love most about working in the AV industry?
Sasso: This industry is unlike any other. Most of the people you meet are interesting and innovative, they always have a story, and no two stories are alike. I meet new people for an intense couple of days while they are learning what AQAV stands for and how it can improve their work process. They are mostly skeptical that a “worksheet” can help improve their workday. The best part is when I see them again, they say to me, man, I can’t believe what a difference it has made!
CI: How can the AV industry become even better?
Sasso: Education! This industry is constantly changing and evolving. I truly believe and have seen how incorporating a QMS and the AV9000 de-facto standard into a company’s process can empower individuals and companies to do their best work. Education on all levels, including manufacturer trainings are key, but the overall cohesiveness that AV9000 creates is the icing on the top.
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #HerAVStory series? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at [email protected].
