Hauppauge, N.Y. – Personal Communications Devices (PCD), which provides marketing and logistics services for cellular handset vendors, has tapped George Appling as president/CEO.
Appling replaces Philip Christopher, who was instrumental in launching the company’s predecessor, Audiovox Communications, in 1984.
The appointment was made by the privately owned company’s board of directors.
Appling has more than 20 years experience in the wireless industry and has been a partner with Booz & Company since 2009. He has also served as Brightstar’s global solutions president and COO. At Brightstar, he was responsible for operating more than 60 distribution centers, indirect-channel procurement, and a division that marketed device management and supply chain services to mobile operators and retailers.
Appling will lead PCD’s existing management team, which includes CMO Joseph Cufari, Western region sales VP James Daurio, international sales VP Louis Antoniou, COO Jorge Garcia, CFO Ray Kunzmann, and Kostas Kastamonitis, VP of product management-Verizon.
PCD provides distribution and marketing services for handset suppliers, conducts product planning and development for devices, and provides technical testing and quality control for handset suppliers. In the U.S., it brings such brands as PanTech and Casio to market. PCD also offers services such as inventory management, forward and reverse logistics, and product life cycle management.
PCD will continue to focus on its core services, which also include product testing and certification for carriers, engineering support, merchandising and advertising support, sales force training, and product fulfillment, the company said.
Former president/CEO Philip Christopher has been with the company since its founding 28 years ago as Audiovox Communications Corp. (ACC), where he served as president/CEO. In 2000, ACC formed a joint venture with Toshiba and in 2004 was acquired by UTStarcom. With that acquisition, UTStarcom formed its Personal Communications Division, also headed by president/CEO Christopher. In July 2008, Christopher spearheaded a management buyout of UTStarcom Personal Communications Division and created PCD.
The PCD board credited him with bringing many well-known brand names to the Americas, including Toshiba, LG, HTC, Pantech, Casio and Sharp. Under Christopher, PCD “revolutionized the way wireless products come to market,” the board said.
