GatesAir, a Thomson Broadcast subsidiary, announced on Monday that Barbara Spicek will take over as CEO, effective immediately. She joins GatesAir from software company Vizrt Group, where she served as president and general manager of its live production business.
In a press release making the announcement, GatesAir said, “Spicek joins GatesAir with an impressive business leadership background of nearly three decades, with executive roles at Fortune 500 companies such as Brocade Communications and Veritas Technologies.”
The manufacturer said Spicek is now tasked with carrying the brand’s TV and radio transmission legacy forward and broadening the company’s business opportunities.
“I see clear opportunities for GatesAir to bring new cloud and software-based solutions to market, both within its product portfolio and in collaboration with Thomson Broadcast and an extended ecosystem,” said Spicek in the release.
As Spicek steps up to the post, GatesAir said Bruce Swail, CEO since 2017, is retiring “after several years of sustained performance, most notably in optimizing the company’s position in the FCC Spectrum Repack program.”
Ylias Akbaraly, chairman of Redland, the holding company of Thomson Broadcast, said, “We are excited at the possibilities that lie in front of us moving forward. We thank Bruce for his important contributions and look forward to the next phase of GatesAir under Barbara’s leadership.”
RF company Thomson Broadcast made a splash in the U.S. broadcast equipment marketplace last year with its acquisition of GatesAir, thus adding an established American radio and TV brand to its offerings.
In October of 2022, GatesAir officials said they expected no changes in operations or staffing levels following the recent sale. John Belza, its chief financial officer, opted to depart, but no other senior management shuffling was expected, they said at the time.
GatesAir is a manufacturer of products for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting. It is headquartered in Mason, Ohio, with manufacturing in Quincy, Ill. Thomson Broadcast is based in Paris, France, with operations in West Palm Beach, Fla.
[Related: “At GatesAir, Swail Welcomes a ‘Strategic Owner’”]
