In memoriam: Paul Whiting
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“It is with deep regret that we inform you that Paul Whiting passed away on the evening of Friday 5 June,” says Sennheiser. “Paul was taken ill suddenly in early May and, although he came home for a short period, it was quickly apparent that he would not recover. The family were given the opportunity to visit Paul at the end of last week to say goodbye. On the Friday evening, Paul passed away peacefully in hospital.”
The statement continues, “For those that did not have the privilege of knowing or working with Paul, he began his career at Sennheiser in 1990, after 15 years with former UK partner Hayden Laboratories as the head of its Professional Division as Sales and Marketing Manager. Paul was instrumental in establishing Sennheiser UK as a subsidiary and as Managing Director led the UK’s expansion. In 2007, Paul became President of Global Sales and joined the Sennheiser Executive Management Board, helping to double Sennheiser’s turnover between 2006 and 2015. Paul spent his final year with Sennheiser as President of Strategic Collaborations, focusing on partnerships with artists, industry partners and organisations.
“As part of the management board for Sennheiser Paul, played an integral part in driving new business opportunities. Just some of these projects included establishing the Nordic subsidiaries, building and driving the business in the Middle East and the partnership with Sennheiser Communications.
“As a leader, Paul was an inspiration to many and was always a key part of the team. Paul was selfless in his strive for success. Nowhere was this more apparent than his work with LIPA where the collaboration with Sennheiser gave so many young talents the opportunity to showcase themselves, which still continues to this day. Paul had a reputation for hard work, and he expected the same of his colleagues, but he always knew how to have fun. This led to many memorable events including Sennheiser UK’s Golf Day. Paul loved to play golf and this event combined his generosity to help others by raising money for multiple charities, most notably the Caron Keating Foundation and Diabetes UK.”
“Paul was the figurehead and driving force behind Sennheiser UK’s achievements during his time as Managing Director, and later a highly valued member of our management board,” say Sennheiser´s co-CEOs, Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser. “He was admired and respected by his colleagues, both in the UK and throughout Sennheiser’s global community. We are thankful for his tireless efforts during his time with us. We will all miss him greatly.”
Paul left Sennheiser in 2016 after a long and successful career, he went on to further executive board roles within the industry but was also enjoying some well-earned time with his family in preparation for retirement. Paul leaves behind his wife, Sue, two daughters and four grandsons, of whom he was extremely proud and delighted to spend so much more time within recent years.
“Paul was very well-known within the audio industry and contributed much to it throughout his long career. For those who were lucky enough to have worked with Paul, you would know that he was a very driven, passionate, caring person in everything that he did. His long history with Sennheiser means that he will be missed by many. Our thoughts go out to Paul’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Given the current environment, Paul’s funeral will be a small affair, which is the exact opposite of what he would have wanted. The family have informed us that there will be a much bigger memorial lunch next year to celebrate Paul’s life. For details of this and for those that would like to leave a message of condolence, please visit www.paulewhiting.co.uk
