Expertise:
Importation; Distribution; International sales and marketing
Hobbies/Sports:
Spending time with her three grandchildren and training a new puppy; Reading; Aussie sports
Education Degrees:
Coursework, Kincoppal College; Psychology Coursework, WEA Sydney
Throughout the duration of your career, what was the one highlight that stood out the most?:
The most gratifying aspect of her career is the lifelong friendships that have been forged from initial working relationships.
Charity:
Fire Rescue Australia; Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, London
Number Of Years In Profession:
40
Number Of Years In Current Position:
7
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to her motto, "Failure is not an option."
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession because she was working in London. At the age of 21, an opportunity arose purely by chance to become involved with a Swedish audio company opening and running an office for them in Australia, on a partnership basis. She has remained in the industry, owning and managing three companies until moving to live in the U.K. for 10 years. During that time, she worked as the international sales and marketing manager for a company that owned two of the most iconic British hi-fi brands, successfully driving forward their sales and international recognition. In the interim, she opened another company in Australia to import and distribute those two brands while negotiating the design of that company’s own brand AktiMate, which she now promotes internationally. She returned to Australia and accepted the position as the chief executive officer of a Chinese-owned, French hi-fi brand to lift their international profile and build sales.
Extended Bio Profile:
Ms. Pugh has been in the audio industry virtually all of her working life. Following many years at Concept Audio (the initial importer for Creek & Epos), she established a new company importing and distributing products to the emerging custom audio market. That, in turn, led her to establishing her next company, based around lighting control systems and their integration with home entertainment. It was in 2001 that she packed her bags and headed to the U.K. to fulfill a lifetime desire to spend some time living there. Realizing it was somewhat better than she expected, but impossible to survive without an income, she found herself a job. As luck would have it, that job was to look after the international sales and marketing for Creek & Epos. But Australia always beckoned and the opportunity to once more become involved in Australian distribution of audio products was too good an opportunity to pass up. It provided her with the best of both worlds. Returning to live in Australia at the end of 2010, she is now more actively involved in the company, taking on the role of future development of the AktiMate brand and the growth of its international markets. She continues in her international role with Creek & Epos, simply working from an Australian location rather than being London based.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Overseeing finances and marketing; Managing a sales team
Awards/Honors:
Lifetime Achievement Award, CEDIA, Australia (1998)
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Ms. Pugh intends to plan for succession.