Focusrite Group has announced that its chairman and founder, Phil Dudderidge, has been awarded an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s New Years Honours List, a reward presented for contributions of significant achievement for the United Kingdom.
Specifically, the commendation for Dudderidge is in recognition of the contributions he’s made to the professional audio industry over several decades. He’s enjoyed a distinguished career, initially working as Led Zeppelin’s touring sound engineer in 1970 before setting up RSD Systems, a a partnership of three that built PA systems with custom-built mixing consoles that evolved into Soundcraft Electronics.
After Soundcraft was sold to Harman International in 1988, Dudderidge acquired the assets of Focusrite and rebuilt the business as Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. He served as chief executive officer 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 leading brands, including Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation, Ampify, ADAM Audio, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, Linea Research, Sequential, Oberheim, Sonnox, and most recently, OutBoard and TiMax.
“I am honored, humbled and thrilled to have been awarded an OBE,” states Dudderidge. “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 as 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 footsteps of his father, John Dudderidge, who was also awarded an OBE for services to British canoeing. John competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics and still canoed into his 90s.
“Phil is a true colossus in the audio industry and he thoroughly deserves this award,” adds Tim Carroll, CEO of Focusrite. “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.”
Focusrite
