Title: Account Manager
Company: Control Concepts, Inc.
Location: Amissville, VA
Overtime: DiCesare is a trained musician and vocalist. Her family insists she was singing before fully talking and she attributes her love of music for leading her into the AV industry.
Why You Need to Know Her: Brittany DiCesare has a keen understanding of business, workflows, and relationships—and never shies away from a challenge, especially when it comes to learning something new or developing additional skills. “I’m able to easily switch between big picture and granular levels, when necessary, which allows me to be involved in both vision and operational conversations,” she explained. “Above all those things, I strive to be an equal member of a team that encourages, challenges, and helps inspire people to greatness.”
Even though she didn’t officially get involved with the AV industry until 2018, DiCesare’s initial interest was sparked during high school when she assisted her local youth group with audio mixing. From there, she dabbled in AV work during college and the beginning of her career until an opportunity with AVIXA led to her jumping headfirst into the industry.
As the manager of member and professional society member programs, DiCesare oversaw all council and member programs, growing involvement within the programs while increasing global volunteer engagement by 10%. She also helped organize the first Women’s Council and Diversity Council presentations for AVIXA on the Main Stage at ISE.
“People I consider sponsors—someone who champions another to others behind closed doors—often saw more in me than I saw in myself,” said DiCesare. “Keeping an open mind was vital in my transitioning into this industry full time.”
After taking a short break from the industry in 2021, DiCesare quickly realized the AV industry was where she belonged and wanted to return to what she now calls her home. As fate would have it, Steve Greenblatt, president of Control Concepts, Inc., reached out about an account manager position that opened up within the company that he felt would be a perfect fit for DiCesare’s skill set.
“The more we talked, the more it seemed like a natural fit,” said DiCesare. “They were looking for someone who knew the industry and could build new relationships and strengthen existing relationships with industry manufacturers and control platforms. I was looking for a long-term professional home to continue relationship-building and exercise my business and leadership skills.”
In January 2022, DiCesare officially joined the Control Concepts family, and now nurtures relationships with manufacturers while collaborating with Control Concept’s development team to address the many challenges these manufacturers face.
“A polished young professional like DiCesare doesn’t come along very often,” said Greenblatt. “She has a true passion for the AV industry, an inherent business sense, understands the value of relationships, and is self-motivated to learn and grow. She is able to process information quickly and thoroughly to identify opportunities and leverage efficiencies. DiCesare offers so much to our organization including great spirit, uplifting leadership, dedication to excellence, and results-driven focus.”
Some may be surprised to learn that a natural facilitator like DiCesare identifies as an introvert, something she once perceived as a weakness but has come to embrace. “It’s okay to be an introvert,” DiCesare said. “I know this sounds silly, but I’ve always been ashamed of it. I felt like it was the thing that was holding me back. But there are amazing strengths to being an introvert. I’ve learned to embrace those, sharpen those, and improve in the weaker areas.”
She has a strong belief that everyone in our industry is uniquely gifted and encourages and mentors others to speak up and let go of their personal fear of rejection, which she feels can only hold you back from your full potential.