Based in the Paris area, Philippe Renan is the founder of the European subsidiary of Victrola (leader in vinyl turntables in the United States). He enjoys having a double career which fully exploits his creativity in the fields of music and audio brands. This dual career brings him an essential balance, the secret of his enthusiasm and his resilient optimism.

“My natural creativity quickly marked me out in business world and gave me the opportunity to throw myself 200% into developing incredible brands. I was Product Manager at Creative Labs with Sound Blaster card and MP3 products, then Sales Director with the brand EMU with its legendary samplers, then more recently European Sales and Marketing Director at Audio-Technica (turntables and headphones). I am so proud to have made Audio-Technica a leading brand in Europe. Today I am deploying the same fervor to develop an ambitious and promising future for Victrola. There were also unforgettable times at Panasonic and Thomson. I even enjoyed working with the people at Electrolux, which was an opportunity to test my skills outside the audio field. None of these experiences affected my ability to compose music. On the contrary”.

The interaction between business and music creates in Philippe Renan an unlimited creative process which benefits both the music and the brands which have recruited him. The consumer Audio and High Tech markets are a small world of connoisseurs and enthusiasts like him. “I get the same pleasure creating or developing a brand as from composing a new title. Actually, it is this visionary and creative side in the Consumer market that characterizes me with my professional partners. My international career offers me new multi-cultural meetings every day. My music feeds my instinct for complex negotiations, just as the challenge of business generates new ideas of composition …. It’s a real balance which brings emotional intelligence,” he analyzes.

In his leadership and management role, Philippe Renan is often led to question the role of art and emotions in the business world. After all, aren’t many of the world’s leaders nurturing a sometimes-hidden passion behind their investment in work? Perhaps being passionate about another activity is the best way to get some detachment, for a moment, from a professional world that would swallow them up willingly.

This balance between the professional and the personal allows Philippe to go beyond himself, in business as in music, and to reveal his true personality. He makes balance the standard bearer of his compositions and his negotiating style, without any obligation to market codes. “In terms of positioning, mixing pop and jazz conflicts with the classic logic of a music label. Being a musician and a businessman might be surprising but it’s what my clients love”, says Philippe. It is this authenticity which enables Philippe to make his artistic passion a balance in his professional assignments. This duality is dear to him. He has made it the basis of his fulfilment.