High Wycombe, UK (January 3, 2024)—Focusrite Group chairman and founder Phil Dudderidge has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution to the professional audio industry over several decades.
An OBE is awarded for having played a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area.
Dudderidge has enjoyed a distinguished career, initially working as Led Zeppelin’s touring sound engineer in 1970. He set up RSD Systems Ltd in a partnership of three in 1971, building bespoke P.A. systems with custom-built mixing consoles. This evolved into Soundcraft Electronics Ltd, a company specializing in live and studio mixing consoles, which was sold to Harman International Inc. in 1988.
He acquired the assets of Focusrite Ltd. in 1989 and rebuilt the business as Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. Focusrite Plc was formed in 2014 to take the group public on AIM. Dudderidge served as chief executive officer of Focusrite from 1989 until becoming executive chairman in 2012, and then non-executive chairman of Focusrite Plc in January 2022.
The Focusrite Group has grown to include 13 industry-leading brands: Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation, Ampify, ADAM Audio, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, Linea Research Sequential, Oberheim, Sonnox, OutBoard and TiMax.
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Phil Dudderidge OBE, chairman of Focusrite, commented, “I am honored, humbled and thrilled to have been awarded an OBE. This is not just an honor for me but is recognition of all the incredible people I have worked with over the decades, particularly our amazing team at the Focusrite Group. Everybody attached to the company has had a lot of faith to get us to where we are today, and I’ve had so many people thank me for the opportunities they’ve had with both Soundcraft and Focusrite. I am most proud of the fact that both companies have provided opportunities for people to develop their careers. I am equally grateful to all the employees, retailers, distributors and customers throughout the years. They are the ones who helped to build Focusrite to where it is today. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the years, but particularly my family and my wife, Jenny.”
Dudderidge follows in the illustrious footsteps of his father, John, who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics and was awarded an OBE for services to British canoeing. He reportedly canoed into his 90s.
Tim Carroll, CEO of Focusrite, added, “Phil is a true colossus in the audio industry, and he thoroughly deserves this award. We are a passionate bunch united by a single objective: to smash through barriers and unleash boundless creativity in the world of sound. Nobody personifies these values more than Phil. The group is so proud of this public recognition of all he has achieved. Many congratulations from us all.”
