Harris taps Russ Johnson for key sales post

Harris Corporation has appointed Russ Johnson to the position of vice president of sales for the Americas for its Broadcast Communications Division. Johnson’s key mandate will be to drive revenue growth by leveraging the division’s first-class sales force and portfolio of end-to-end workflow solutions to present one integrated Harris business to customers worldwide.

With more than 20 years of senior management experience in the broadcast industry, Johnson brings to Harris a solid background in direct sales and tactical marketing, strategic accounts management, systems and service sales, and resale channel management. Johnson comes to Harris from Thomson-Grass Valley, where he led the North American sales organization through a period of significant expansion.

“The worldwide digital media marketplace is undergoing rapid transition, driven largely by digital technology and the change this technology enables. HDTV, analog-to-digital conversion, satellite radio, IPTV and mobile video technologies are exploding, and in this fluid environment, customers want more than a supplier – they want a strategic technology partner,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of the Harris Broadcast Communications Division. “Our integrated, ‘one company’ approach meets the needs of all our customers – from those requiring hardware or software product upgrades to those looking to reap the benefits of a fully integrated workflow solution. Russ’ tenure in the industry, coupled with his outstanding record of driving sales growth, makes him the ideal person to lead our Americas’ sales team.”