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 Erin Phillips, VP for Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design (Theory Professional). She has deep roots in the AV industry, driven by a childhood immersed in audio. She overcame early challenges as a young woman in a male-dominated field with the support of influential mentors, including her father, former manager Mark Aling, PR expert Kimberly Lancaster, and current CEO Paul Hales. Her proudest achievement is launching and scaling Theory Audio Design, with plans for groundbreaking products by 2025. Phillips values the industry’s passionate community and emphasizes simplifying AV technologies to attract broader audiences. Read #HerAVStory below.
Interview with Erin Phillips, VP for Pro Audio Technology and Theory Audio Design (Theory Professional)
Commercial Integrator: How did you get into the AV industry?
Erin Phillips: I grew up in audio and if I’m honest, my involvement in audio was kind of fated from birth. My childhood home was filled with music and audio-centric people, and my parents were (and still are) close friends with the co-founder of Paradigm Electronics. Some of the original Paradigm speakers were built in my parents’ unfinished basement before I was born, and my dad built the facility that Paradigm, and its sister brands, operate and manufacture out of today.
So not surprisingly, outside of school, piano lessons, and dance classes, I grew up inside the walls of that very building. I built my first tweeter when I was six and worked in any department that needed extra help just to make a few extra bucks throughout my teens. After graduating from college, I got my first ‘big-girl job’ in the marketing and product development departments and fast forward nearly two decades – I’m still in audio!
CI: Have you encountered any difficulties or obstacles in your AV industry career?
Phillips: In 2008 I went to my first tradeshow and what an eye-opening experience that was. Back then, being a young female in the AV industry was a rarity and let’s just say I wasn’t always taken seriously. Not realizing I grew up inside a speaker factory, people were quick to judge my age and gender and often times it was an uphill battle to prove myself.
That said, I was fortunate to surround myself with some very supportive colleagues, including a handful of strong and influential women who knew my worth and inspired me to own it – many of which are my close friends and mentors to this day.
CI: Whom would you point to as the most influential and helpful mentors in your career? What did they do to help you?
Phillips: Thinking about it, I actually have four influential mentors in my career that stand out.
My first career mentor was my dad. He is the reason I am in the AV industry in the first place. He educated me on many aspects of the loudspeaker and electronics manufacturing business from an early age. That knowledge and his unwavering belief in my abilities have given me a huge leg up in my career.
My next mentor was Mark Aling, my manager when I worked in the marketing department at Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan. Mark took me under his wing, taught me everything he knew about marketing and public relations, and truly empowered me to flourish. Mark became a close friend and mentor until losing a tough battle to cancer in 2021.
Kimberly Lancaster is the owner of the esteemed tech PR firm, Caster Communications, and has been a career-long mentor. I worked with Kim at Paradigm, Anthem, and MartinLogan, and then directly for her at Caster for five years. While there, I managed accounts from many areas of the AV industry, beyond audio, which at times had me feeling like a fish out of water. Kim believed in me and pushed me to embrace being out of my comfort zone. She also showed me that working alongside smart and hard-working professionals that have high standards for themselves, each other, and the quality of their work is extremely rewarding. I now swear by this philosophy and refuse to work in any other kind of environment…
… which segways beautifully into my current employer and most recent mentor, Paul Hales, CEO and founder of PRO and Theory. Much like Kim, Paul has extremely high standards for himself, his audio products, as well as the people he works with. He takes pride in the fact that his staff is comprised of a small team of industrious rock stars. It is thanks to Paul’s ambition, guidance, and his confidence in me that I have expanded my horizons in the businesses and worked my way up to an executive role. I am very thankful to have a fulfilling career backed by an inspiring leader and friend.
CI: What is your proudest career accomplishment?
Phillips: My proudest career accomplishment is still ongoing. It has been the successful launch of Theory into the AV market… and now watching our baby grow! There is nothing more rewarding than being part of something special from its inception and that’s what Theory is to me.
I was there when Paul was sketching and designing the initial product concepts in 2017. We then successfully launched Theory into the residential market in 2019, tenaciously fought our way through COVID, and finally introduced Theory Professional to the commercial market at InfoComm in 2023.
Theory has caught on like wildfire and is becoming one of the well-known audio brands in the industry. I couldn’t be more proud to have a front row seat watching Theory thrive – and we are just getting started. At InfoComm 2025, Theory is launching a line of sound reinforcement products that will shake things up in pro AV.
CI: What do you love most about working in the AV industry?
Phillips: The people. If you think about it, the AV industry is essentially a passion project fueled by professionals that provide exceptional entertainment experiences. How can you not love the people that dedicate their careers to bringing joy to the world?
CI: How can the AV industry become even better?
Phillips: Our industry still intimidates the average person. And the less intimidating we can make AV to the average person, the more people that will embrace what we do and will choose to invest in it. It’s essential we deliver products (and experiences) that are high-performing and reliable, but it’s just as important that we educate our customers, provide exceptional support, and most of all make it simple for all customers to enjoy the fruits of our labor – because that’s what will keep them coming back for more.
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].
