The #AVLivingLegends series is back and this week, we honor Christopher Maione, CTS- D, DSCE, DMC-D, president and founder of Christopher Maione Associates (CMA).
He is a recognized leader and expert in the low voltage technologies with over 25 years’ experience in the design, consulting and integration of technology systems. His specialties include managing projects, both small and large, that require a higher level of detail, support, attention and performance. Indeed, Maione deserves the title of an AV Living Legend!
In this interview, Maione reflects on his journey in the AV industry. He also gives a shoutout to various mentors, partners and friends made along the way, all of whom have had a major impact on his life. Read below to learn more about Maione’s life, career and most memorable moments.
And if you’d like to read even more coverage relating to our #AVLivingLegends, check out our hub page. It includes direct links to every living legend!
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry?
Christopher Maione: As a college sophomore looking for a summer job, I cold called at an “engineering” building where I found Tamco System Inc., a small startup AV systems integration company. It turned out they needed engineering assistance, and they hired me as a summer intern. This was my first glimpse into AV systems and the start of my career. From there, the industry opportunities grew along with my education. As technology and the industry advanced, my passion and commitment to the field also continued to grow.
Commercial Integrator: What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
Christopher Maione: Aside from having to make a living to pay the bills, there are several items which kept me motivated: An ongoing interest in an ever-evolving field with very cool technologies that continues to fascinate me; extremely talented and dynamic people in our industry who have grown from colleagues to friends; and clients who are equally committed to the white-glove level of services.
Alongside this, I believe in challenging and interesting projects that push us to grow and find unique design solutions. Seeing the completion of projects that started out as a design idea is very gratifying and rewarding.
Commercial Integrator: 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? How have you tried to help shape others’ careers?
Christopher Maione: My first job at Tamco Systems was under the direction of my mentor Mario Maltese. Mario was an alumnus of Stevens Institute of Technology, my college, and he hired me as an intern. Mario and his partner, Trini, taught me the world of AV. I started as an engineering assistant working on a variety of AV projects. One notable project was a satellite-based courtroom videoconferencing system, which would permit a centrally located judge to arraign minor offenders via videoconference in order to not hold them in cells over the weekend. After graduating college, I was hired as a project engineer. After a few years, I was managing projects, which then led to my position as director of operations, overseeing multiple projects, with teams of project managers, engineers, CAD operators and technicians.
I have worked on some fantastic projects, alongside some of the greatest architects of our times, including Cesar Pelli at World Financial Center, NY and 25 Ban Street, London; Norman Foster at Hearst Tower, NY and 8 Canada Square, London; Arthur Gensler at Projects Worldwide; Pei Cobb Freed at 1 Cabot Square, London; Kohn Peterson Fox at 745 Seventh Avenue, NY and Cookfox at Bank of America Tower, NY.
I am also very proud to have worked alongside pioneers in our industry such as Hubert Wilke, Irv Wood and Ed Hodder. Nor will I forget flying cross country in a brand-new Bonanza to InfoComm Las Vegas with George Feldstein, or the time he picked me up in the Crestron jet and we flew to Nantucket for lunch.
Christopher Maione on Giving Back to the Industry
Throughout my career, I have always tried to assist others reach their professional goals and grow in the world of AV. As a dedicated adjunct faculty at AVIXA, and one of the folks who helped form the CTS program, I have always felt teaching is an important part of our work. AV is a craft and the skills of proper project implementation from start to finish must be passed on to the next generation of AV professionals.
I have worked alongside great people and helped steer the development of others. Also, I like to think there is a symbiotic relationship between generations; I may have passed along some knowledge or good business practices, and I have mentored and also learned from these colleagues and friends: Mark Brown, Scott Fike, Robert Fini, Strings Kozisek, Steve Greenblatt, Dana Judge, Davide Lerette, Brent Natiello, Don Nash, Austin Parker, William Tinnel, Nancy Trefny, Chen Vanunu and Rich Wilkins.
Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the great manufacturer/manufacturer representatives which have supported my efforts through the years: Dave Arnott (Sharp/NEC), Chris Audette (SCT), John Cardone (CSA), Ray Coneys (Crestron), John Garmendi (Sony), Jonathan Leonard (Lencore), Lainie Mataras (Planar), Robert Moreau (Clockaudio), Dave Neaderland (SCT), Dave Pincek (Extron) Glenn Pernick (Crestron), Cory Schaeffer (QSC) Laura Siler (Sony), Marta Scoppa (Wolfvision), Sandy Sousa (Crestron), Marla Suttenberg (Sapphire Marketing), just to name a few. And certainly, Fred Bargetzi and Grant Stewart.
I also would not have been a success without the ongoing support from the various owners, representatives and project managers that continue to raise the bar, demand more, shorten the project schedules and keep me on my toes. So, a big thank you to Denise Burke, Paul Hohnsbeen, Joel Jaffe and especially Ed Kazmarek.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
Christopher Maione: I was once summoned to a CFO’s office. He yelled and screamed at me because “The stupid videoconference didn’t work” for a big meeting that morning. I humbly apologized for the inconvenience and then went to the VC room to see if I could figure out what went wrong.
Upon review, the VC system was not working — it could not place or receive a VC call. I grabbed the IT folks (who barely understood VC at the time, since this was early days of IT), and they assisted me in identifying the (old technology) ISDN lines feeding the VC system. After an hour or so of troubleshooting and several phone calls with the ISDN carrier, I was fairly certain I had identified the problem.
Heading back to CFO’s office, I politely advised him that paying their AT&T bill would mitigate the problem and, yes, paying your bills on time keeps the ISDN lines from being shut off.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Christopher Maione: I am the founder of two very successful consulting firms. My first firm grew to provide AV consulting services for Fortune 500 companies across the globe. As videoconferencing grew, I traveled to just about every major financial city throughout the U.S., U.K., EU and Asia. It was fascinating learning the various cultural differences of how AV systems were understood, designed and implemented.
Courtesy of Christopher Maione.
My second and current firm, (now in our 15th year of business) focuses on more than just designing AV systems. CMA provides a higher level of coordination, project management and oversight for complex and sophisticated projects involving the integration of various low voltage technologies.
I believe I have built a reputation and client base for the ultra-demanding client. Moreover, I steer into the difficult and challenging projects and work with commitment and dedication until successful completion.
Christopher Maione on His Most Memorable Experiences
One of my most memorable project experiences was having to get a Panasonic 103-inch plasma flat panel onto the executive (top) floor of a building in downtown Chicago. The staircase was not wide enough, and the freight elevator was not big enough to accommodate the crate. Additionally, the top floor was the executive floor and above it was going to be the rooftop beer garden (the client was MillerCoors). My suggestion brought the project team to laugh so hard they fell off their seats: We rented a helicopter, picked it up outside the city, closed the roads around the building and gently lowered the display through the roof, down and around a staircase opening to the executive floor. Piece of cake!
Commercial Integrator: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
Christopher Maione: My career evolved during a time when clients yelled and screamed to get things done. Unfortunately, I adopted this bad habit and passed it on to the various employees and AV contractors I worked with. Back then, yelling may or may not have been effective, however later in my career, with more knowledge and confidence under my belt, I focused on the “gentler and kinder Chris.” My only regret is not to have found this place earlier in life.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the best advice or pearls of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
Christopher Maione: I have been taught (and have learned from my personal experiences) these lessons:
- Have enthusiasm about your work.
- The client is always right (most of the time…).
- Surround yourself with great people.
- Always raise the bar. Go beyond the expectation.
- Integrity always counts.
- Attention to detail separates great from mediocre.
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #AVLivingLegends series? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at [email protected].
