Wendy Cox of Legrand | AV is a perfect choice to add to Commercial Integrator’s #AVLivingLegends list. Cox, who serves as director of product management – Da-Lite, is a longtime AV industry veteran who has earned universal respect. What’s more, as a prominent woman in AV, Cox shows a path forward for underrepresented groups in our industry. Indeed, Cox received AVIXA’s Women in AV Award in 2015 in recognition of her remarkable achievements. Since then, her accomplishments have only grown.
Here, Cox reflects on what brought her into commercial AV and, equally importantly, what keeps her here. She also discusses how relationship-centric our industry is and how committed Cox is to empowering team members to blossom in their careers. What’s more, she shares an InfoComm story from 20-some years ago that involves a 2:30am phone call, a flood and a concerted team effort to make everything right by morning. Read on to see how it turned out!
Commercial Integrator is honored and delighted to continue our #AVLivingLegends series. With Wendy Cox of Legrand | AV, we have found the ideal 30th inductee to our class of legends.
And if you’d like to read even more coverage relating to our #AVLivingLegends, check out our hub page, which includes direct links to every living legend!
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry?
Wendy Cox: Although I’m a native of the Warsaw, Ind., area, where Da-Lite (Legrand) is a major employer, it was a mystery to me as to what was manufactured inside those walls. I got my first taste of the AV industry when I landed a role with Da-Lite’s inside sales (customer care) department 30 years ago. I was eager to learn about the business, products, customers and everything that goes into that — and I was immediately hooked. I think it speaks volumes about the industry when you start with such unfamiliarity, but it blossoms into a career and a passion. That’s due, in part, to the people who make up the industry. I’ve made a lot of friends over the years, and there are so many people who give their time and who are willing to be resources if you have the desire to learn something new.
CI: What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
Wendy Cox: Taking on different roles throughout my career has really been very rewarding, and it provides ongoing opportunities for growth and learning. From that very first role, I was able to move into product marketing and product management, where I found my passion in product development. I love being able to influence product design, and I enjoy engaging directly with customers to understand their needs, wants and pain points so that we develop products that bring them value, ease of specification and installation.
I take my role very seriously — not only the product-development side but also my role as a manager. As I have moved further in my career, it has been a great honor to be able to affect our employees’ lives. I love seeing them grow their careers and learn as they build new products and evolve AV technology.
CI: Reflect on your role as both a mentee early in your career and as a mentor later in your career. Who helped shape the trajectory of your professional life, and how have you tried to help shape others’ careers?
Wendy Cox: My first manager at Da-Lite was disciplined and demanding. Despite that, I quickly learned the importance of doing what you say you’re going to do, managing multiple tasks at once and being honest. If you’re not able to fulfill your obligations, you need to be able to communicate that. I really try to impress upon others how important is to be upfront and transparent.
I have learned throughout the years that gaining empathy for everyone you’re working with is hugely important. I really like to get to know people so that I can understand their personal aspirations, and so I can help them advance and be more fulfilled in their careers. As a mentor, that’s one of the things I love. I strive to lead by example, exhibit a strong work ethic and impress upon people the importance of relationships. When I see my team getting excited about relationships working well and communication flowing smoothly, it’s incredibly rewarding and motivating.
I’ve learned that relationships and people are really the core of everything we do.
CI: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
Wendy Cox: Twenty years ago, at InfoComm, at about 2:30am, the day the show was opening, I received a call from show management explaining to me that a forklift driver had accidentally hit a water pipe with a roll of carpet. This caused it to bust open and flood our booth. At 3 am, all hands were on deck. All of the show management, the booth builders and our employees were working to soak up everything. We had to jack up and move our booth to get everything cleaned up. Preparing for InfoComm is a challenge, but it was quite the harrowing experience that year!
The most amazing thing is that, by the time the show opened at 9am, none of the attendees ever knew what had occurred because everybody did such a great job of working together to ensure that the show went on. It was a crazy, nerve-wracking experience at the time; but now, looking back, it’s humorous. It’s also empowering to know what can be accomplished in a short time when you all work together toward a common goal.
CI: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Wendy Cox: My biggest professional accomplishment is probably our HD Progressive product launch. Released in 2001, the HD Progressive line of screen surfaces was specifically designed for high-resolution projectors. At the time, high-definition resolution was only available in a couple of projector models, but we recognized the need for a screen surface that would be more futureproof as projector technology continued to evolve. The line was ahead of the curve in screen-surface technology — so much so that we still carry it 20 years later! Of course, the line has been enhanced, reformulated and expanded over the years. It’s now 16K ready, even though 4K is currently the predominant projector technology. It’s important that we provide products, in collaboration with the projector manufacturers, that our customers can use for years to come.
I was also honored with AVIXA’s Women in AV Award in 2015. That was a huge honor and a very unexpected moment. I have always had a lot of respect for our industry and the women who build their careers in it. Again, that’s representative of the relationship building and the knowledge sharing you can find in our industry.
CI: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
Wendy Cox: I think that, if I could go back early in my career and change something, I would have explored the opportunity to work in the manufacturing-operations department at Da-Lite. What we do in product management and product development is heavily tied to manufacturing. Our manufacturing is even in the same building. A couple of years in an operations role could have helped me understand how to develop products that make sense from a manufacturing perspective. To bridge this gap, I work very closely with our operations team when we’re developing or enhancing a product. Their input is an invaluable resource.
CI: What’s the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
Wendy Cox: Embrace change. It will come. Your attitude about change dramatically impacts the outcome and results. It requires an open mind and the fearlessness to ask a lot of questions. Change is not easy for anyone, but, if you seek out the positives — for instance, where you can grow, learn and engage as change comes — you’ll find it to progress much more smoothly than if you had remained resistant.
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #AVLivingLegends series, just like Wendy Cox of Legrand | AV was? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at dan.ferrisi@emeraldx.com.
