Unfinished Business: Vel Johnson comes out of retirement to support, strengthen and lead the Kinly US team forward into an exciting, globally aligned, new era.
Kinly – a leading AV systems integrator and remote collaboration service provider – is excited to announce the reappointment of Vel Johnson as its Managing Director for the US.
With a career spanning more than 40+ years, Vel held senior leadership positions in some of the world’s leading multi-billion-dollar technology companies; Johnson returns as Kinly’s US MD, having originally relinquished the position in December 2021 as part of his semi-retirement plans after three years.
We have identified opportunities in the US market, and under Vel’s leadership, I have no doubt those opportunities and our ambitions as a company can be fulfilled.
Tom will continue to drive Kinly’s expansion with the latest technology offerings combined with a focus on service and support. He adds: “Coming from a services background, I am proud to say it’s the dedicated Kinly service that sets us apart. Together with our valued technology partners, I’m looking forward to fantastic opportunities as hybrid work models continue to grow in popularity around the world.
The appointment received the unanimous backing from the Kinly Board of Directors, with Chairman Jos Zandhuis adding: “In Tom, we have a CEO who knows the business inside-out and has a proven track record both as an executive and a leader with a passion for commitment to excellent service that’s infectious. Under his management, we have seen Kinly become the number one player across Europe, so have the fullest confidence in his ability to lead Kinly through its next phase of growth and development.”
Tom takes up his appointment with immediate effect.Based in Kinly’s Cedar Knolls (NJ) corporate office – one of four on the East Coast (Fort Lauderdale, Washington, New York) – Vel was inspired to return to Kinly following positive discussions with newly appointed CEO, Tom Martin, who revealed his ambitious growth and expansion plans for the company in the US market.
Nicknamed ‘The Coach’ by his colleagues – Vel, leading a strong US team, will now develop and execute a more business and culturally aligned go-to-market strategy to mirror that deployed in Kinly’s other global markets. This includes Europe, where Kinly now holds a commanding market leadership position – an achievement both Vel and Tom have long-term ambitions to replicate.
Deeper relationships / heightened value
Designed to help seize new business opportunities while further enhancing the company’s already enviable quality-led market proposition, the new strategy will see Kinly significantly strengthen and deepen its strategic relationships with existing leading AV/IT vendors in the US, while introducing new ones where value can be added. This will allow Kinly to deliver more choice, plus enhanced value and expertise to both new and existing clients to support all their AV and UCC installation and workspace transformation needs.
Kinly already boasts some of the world’s leading Fortune 500 enterprise companies among its customer base, where quality, reliability, and security of their AV/IT solutions are imperative 24/7. Customers include, but are far from limited to, global banks, retailers, big pharma firms, food and drink manufacturers/producers, and legal and music streaming companies, among others.
Tom Martin, CEO of Kinly, comments: “With over 20 years of experience and supporting more than 2,500 clients, Kinly is a recognized and trusted global provider of fully tailored AV and video collaboration services and support.”
“We have identified opportunities in the US market, and under Vel’s leadership, I have no doubt those opportunities and our ambitions as a company can be fulfilled. I’m delighted to welcome Vel back to the Kinly family.”
Vel added: “I am delighted to return to Kinly and to be entrusted by Tom to help guide this already burgeoning business on a new, more deeply aligned journey to achieve even bigger and greater things in the US market. I was enjoying my retirement, but after the call from Tom, the opportunity to be part of something so special was simply too good to turn down. I feel determined and excited by what the future holds for my team and the company as a whole.”
