CEDIA Awards - Best Sales Representative

The CEDIA Best Sales Representative award celebrates individuals that go above and beyond to put their customer first, excelling in customer service.

We are delighted to present the 2026 nominees below, submitted by the industry, they now need your vote to determine the regional winner.

Voting Parameters:

• Multiple votes are accepted from one company, but only one vote per person is accepted and for the nominee in your region
• Voting is open now to members & non-members and closes on June 30th.
• CEDIA will recognise a winner in each region and will announce the recipient at their local CEDIA Smart Home Awards ceremony.

Vote now

Americas  |  Asia Pacific  |  EMEA

Americas Nominees

Eric Arons - Phoenix Marketing Group LLC - USA

"Always goes above and beyond for dealers no matter what"

Eric Arons is a dynamic, multi-disciplinary revenue and operations leader currently serving as the VP of Team Development at Phoenix Marketing Group. With a career spanning nearly two decades across sales, marketing, design, and operations, Eric specializes in bridging the gap between creative strategy and high-performance sales execution.

At Phoenix Marketing Group, Eric manages a high-performing team of over 20 professionals, championing team growth, overseeing comprehensive training programs and employee onboarding, intensive training on product and pitch execution, while teaching the team how to identify key opportunities to design custom solutions into complex projects. A master of residential infrastructure and custom AV/smart-home industry dynamics, CRM implementation & infrastructure, seamlessly aligning backend scalability with front-end customer experiences.

Holding a Bachelor's & Associate's degree in Web and Graphic Design, Eric pairs an analytical, systems-driven mindset with sharp creative instincts. His sales philosophy leverages advanced frameworks like question-based selling to drive full-funnel growth, optimize team metrics, and establish unmatched standards for dealer support. Recognized nationally for excellence in his field, Eric combines technical mastery, strategic team development, and an unwavering commitment to operational efficiency to consistently deliver top-tier results.

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Sarah Dresher - Luxury Integrated Technologies - USA

"Sarah stands out because she has redefined what success looks like in her role. She is not simply a top-performing sales representative—she is a strategic partner, educator, advocate, and industry leader."

Sarah Dresher is the Founder and CEO of Luxury Integrated Technologies (LIT), a leading manufacturer representative firm serving the luxury residential technology market across the Southeast. With a background in electrical engineering and more than eight years dedicated to residential construction, renovation, and smart home technologies, Sarah has built a reputation for combining technical expertise with an unwavering commitment to customer success.
Under her leadership, LIT has become known for bridging the gap between design professionals, technology integrators, builders, and manufacturers, ensuring projects maintain their design intent while delivering exceptional user experiences. Sarah is a passionate advocate for education within the industry, serving as a certified presenter for both AIA and IDCEC and regularly delivering training programs on lighting design, shading, controls, audio, and emerging residential technologies.
Known for her responsiveness, problem-solving, and dedication to supporting dealers and partners, Sarah consistently goes beyond traditional sales representation to provide technical guidance, project support, and long-term relationship building. Her mission is simple: elevate the residential market by helping professionals deliver technology solutions that fundamentally enhance the homeowner experience.

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Deborah Giarratana - Luxury Integrated Technologies - USA

"Deb does not seek visibility through bold claims or high-profile wins. Instead, she distinguishes herself throughconsistent execution, attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to her customers."

Deb Giarratana is a seasoned Regional Sales Representative at Luxury Integrated Technologies, LLC, bringing over 12 years of manufacturer representative experience in the consumer electronics industry. Based in Charlotte, she specializes in helping integration professionals across North and South Carolina scale their businesses through advanced technology solutions. Her expertise spans premium audio and video integration, lighting control, fixtures, automated shading, and energy management systems.

Deb’s professional journey is rooted in a unique blend of creative and strategic skills. She holds a bachelor’s degree in film and video production and creative writing, and she initially honed her account management expertise within the advertising agency sector before transitioning into smart home electronics.
An accomplished communicator with 20 years of public speaking experience, Deb is also an AIA-certified presenter. In this role, she delivers continuing education units (CEUs) to architects and designers, bridging the gap between design and complex home technology.

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Lani Godfrey - DMF Lighting - USA

"Lani Godfrey doesn't measure his job by sales orders. He measures it by his dealers' success, and that distinction is everything."

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Alex Hirschmann - Nice North America - USA

"I have always put the customer first in every role that I've been in by making sure every product that I introduce to acompany is the right fit to maximize their profits and grow their business."

I am a technology and business professional with a passion for smart home automation, connected technologies, and customer-focused solutions. My experience combines technical expertise with business development, sales strategy, marketing, and partner engagement, allowing me to translate complex technologies into meaningful business value.
Throughout my career, I have worked with smart home control systems, audio/video solutions, networking, security, and automation technologies. I enjoy helping partners and customers identify the right solutions to enhance performance, simplify operations, and create exceptional user experiences.

I have a strong interest in channel development, product marketing, and go-to-market strategy, with a focus on building relationships, supporting growth initiatives, and driving measurable results. Whether collaborating with integrators, supporting dealers, or developing marketing programs, I strive to deliver value through innovation, communication, and problem-solving.
My goal is to help organizations leverage technology to create smarter, more connected environments while fostering long-term partnerships and sustainable business growth.

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Matthew Lederman - Media Delivery Strategies - USA

"Matt is always trying to exceed the dealer and vendors expectations in terms of service, reliability and punctuality"

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TJ Morgan - OneVision Resources - USA

"TJ’s work ethic and dedication are evident in everything he does. He is deeply committed to his partners and team,consistently going above and beyond to ensure success."

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Adam Owens - CET and Associates, LLC - USA

"Adam truly believes in this industry and wants everyone around him to succeed. He cares deeply about the successof his dealers, the growth of his team, and the manufacturers he represents"

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Nick Fichte - L-Acoustics - USA

"Nick is enabling his partners to showcase technology integration in the most prestigious places on the planet"

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Asia Pacific Nominees

Dee Bubeck - Crestron Electronics - Asia Pacific

Throughout my 10 years with Crestron I’ve developed many amazing relationships with our dealer base.
 
Prior to joining Crestron I spent 16 years on the other side of the fence, working with a number of prestigious integration companies here and in the UK, and I have sold and project managed projects within some amazing homes and MDU projects.
 
This enables me to really understand the dealers’ wants and needs as well as appreciate the struggles of a Smart Home Integrator. Many a battle scar and war story have been shared over a coffee or a beer!
 
Ultimately, my primary goal is to help our dealers succeed. I run client demos at our Experience Centres or fly to meet end users/developers where they are, to help get the job across the line. I also assist dealers with project designs and product selection. It’s all about helping the dealer deliver a successful project and make some money (even though I know we all do it for the love 😊).
 
I’m grateful and honoured that my efforts have been recognised and to be nominated for this award. Cheers.

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Andrew Gleeson - ADI | Snap One Asia Pacific - Asia Pacific

"Through his commitment to building strong relationships, Andrew is solution focused and is dedicated to assisting the industry to deliver exceptional solutions."

Andrew Gleeson is an Outside Sales Representative who focuses on customer focused solutions.
With six year's experience with ADI Global and almost 10 years before that with Legrand he has built his style as a consultative sales representative.

He will often ask, What is the expectation of the end user? His interest is to see the industry grow through better integrations and stronger relationships between manufacturers, integrators and designers.  

Andrew is proudly married with 2 kids. Living in Southeast Melbourne.
When he isn’t working you can find him Volunteering in the community or running at a Parkrun somewhere around Melbourne.

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Paul McLean - Kolosseum - Asia Pacific

"Paul McLean distinguishes himself by redefining the traditional sales role; he operates not as a vendor, but as astrategic growth partner."

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Nick Fichte - L-Acoustics - ASIA Pacific

"Nick is enabling his partners to showcase technology integration in the most prestigious places on the planet"

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EMEA Nominees

Robert Bawden - ADI | Snap One EMEA - EMEA

"What makes Rob particularly deserving of this award is the combination of professionalism, integrity, technical understanding, and genuine care for his customers. He consistently demonstrates a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and an unwavering commitment to helping dealers succeed."

Rob has spent nearly 20 years in the custom installation industry, building a career that uniquely combines hands-on technical expertise with commercial success. Starting as an apprentice before moving into AV installation, he developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by integrators every day.
A Control4 partner since 2009 and an early participant in the CEDIA Installer Programme, Rob went on to found RIB Audio Visual, a Bournemouth-based integration company. Under his leadership, the business became an award-winning Control4 dealer before being successfully sold in 2019.
Following the sale of RIB Audio Visual, Rob joined the Control4 UK team, where he has spent the past seven years supporting partners across London. His installer background enables him to relate directly to the needs of partners, helping them grow their businesses through a combination of technical understanding, trusted advice and strong commercial support.
Passionate about the industry, Rob enjoys working closely with partners at events, trade shows and on individual projects, always seeking opportunities to share knowledge and encourage success. He remains enthusiastic about emerging technologies, evolving installation practices and the future of smart home integration.
For Rob, success is measured not only by sales results, but by the trust, relationships and long-term growth he helps create throughout the industry.

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Olivera Bogdanovic - ADI | Snap One EMEA - EMEA

"The feedback we consistently get is that dealers feel represented. They feel like someone inside the business understands their situation. That kind of trust takes years to build, and it shows in the strength of the relationships she has across that region."

I'm Olivera Bogdanovic, Area Sales Manager for Eastern Europe and the Middle East at ADI. Over the past five years, I've been leading sales across 15+ countries in the Control4 and Snap One ecosystem, and it's an industry I'm genuinely glad to be part of.

The markets I work with are diverse, demanding, and deeply relationship driven. Dealers and integrators in this space know immediately whether you understand their world or not, so I made it my business to truly understand it. That means going beyond the sales conversation, getting into the product, the install, and the customer's experience on the other end.

What I'm most proud of is the trust I've built across the region. Not just hitting numbers but becoming the person partners actually call when they need to figure something out.

I work out of Belgrade, covering a high growth territory across some of the most dynamic markets in the region, and every day I get to work with a brand and product ecosystem I truly believe in.

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Nick Fichte - L-Acoustics - EMEA

"Nick is enabling his partners to showcase technology integration in the most prestigious places on the planet"

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Nick Cornwell - Alltrade Distribution Ltd - EMEA

"A hard working guy, salt of the earth. It would be difficult to find anyonemore loved by their customer base in the industry!"

My journey with Alltrade began in 2007, and over the past 19 years I have had the privilege of growing alongside the business.
 
I started my career as a delivery driver, after six months, I moved into the warehouse and then progressed into sales.
 
My commitment to learning and development, combined with extensive product training and industry knowledge, led to my promotion to Assistant Branch Manager.
 
I was then promoted to Area Sales Manager, a role that marked a significant milestone in my professional journey. My goal has always been simple: provide outstanding service, build lasting partnerships, and be someone customers can rely on.
 
I have embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and determination. While the technology landscape has become increasingly sophisticated, I have enjoyed every opportunity to learn, adapt, and support both new and existing customers in these exciting markets.
 
One aspect of the industry that I am particularly proud to support is the Together for Cinema Charity.
 
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to meet and work with incredible customers, colleagues, suppliers, and industry partners.
 
After 19 years with Alltrade, I remain as passionate about supporting our customers and growing our industry relationships as I was on my very first day.

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Simon Gibbs - Pulse Cinemas - EMEA

"Simon is far more than a traditional sales representative – he is an integral part of the entire project lifecycle, supporting dealers from initial concept and system design through specification, installation, troubleshooting, calibration and final handover."

Simon Gibbs is Head of Projects and Sales at Pulse Cinemas, bringing over 17 years of experience across construction, audiovisual integration, and luxury home cinema distribution. Combining deep technical expertise with a consultative sales approach, Simon has built a reputation for helping dealers deliver exceptional cinema experiences, supporting projects from initial concept and system design through to commissioning and ongoing customer support.
A trusted partner to integrators across the industry, Simon is known for providing outstanding pre- and post-sales support, expert system troubleshooting, and practical technical guidance that helps dealers overcome complex challenges and achieve successful project outcomes. His expertise in cinema design, control systems, and AV technologies, supported by certifications from RTI, Crestron, Lutron, the HDBaseT Alliance, and CAD, enables him to bridge the gap between technical delivery and commercial success.His ability to simplify complex technical issues and provide dependable solutions has earned him the trust and respect of customers and colleagues alike.
From his early career as a professional rugby player with Saracens Rugby to his leadership role at Pulse Cinemas, Simon has consistently demonstrated a commitment to teamwork, performance, and service excellence. Passionate about supporting dealers, solving technical challenges, and building lasting partnerships, Simon is recognised for going above and beyond to ensure customers succeed, making him a valued industry expert and a key contributor to the continued growth and success of Pulse Cinemas.

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Sandeep Kamarapu - Miantic AV Distribution Pvt Ltd - EMEA

"His technical understanding and coordination with dealer Sales and Technical Teams help projects run more smoothly and avoid execution issues. Dealers also highly appreciate his availability during critical situations, even outside working hours."