Paul Stephenson, a Fond Farewell

Posted by: NaimAudio on 14 December 2016

All at Naim salute an incredible leader as Paul Stephenson hands over the reins after 35 Years at Naim.

Naim Audio's Chairman, Paul Stephenson, celebrated his 35th year at Naim Audio in 2016, after handing all operational responsibility to his newly appointed Exec team headed by Dr Trevor Wilson in July 2015.

“We are always searching to have this deeper engagement with the music.
It is a journey, it is an adventure. It’s the voice of Naim”
Paul Stephenson - March 2015

Paul started at Naim Audio in 1981, shortly after the company was founded. As Sales Director, Paul was responsible for setting up much of the company's distribution in export markets around the world - an achievement which has been recognised by the company receiving the prestigious Queen's Award for Export twice while he has been at the company.

As Managing Director Paul has overseen consecutive years of record growth at Naim Audio, taking on the key role after the passing of founder Julian Vereker in 2000. Paul attributes his success at the company to his passion for spreading the Naim Audio message of making music in the home a life enhancing experience to the world. More recently championing the launch of the Mu-so range which was a key strategy he led to bring 1000’s of new customers to the company.

The values that form the foundation of Naim's culture, cemented firmly during Paul's tenure, start and end with commitment to the full experience of music. Sound before everything - we don't design anything if it is not in service of the sound. Therefore deserving of the badge -pursuit of performance stops, not to a deadline, but only when we are sure it is right.
The baton is passed again.

Paul Stephenson will be dearly missed @ Naim HQ.

With love from all at Naim

Posted on: 16 December 2016 by GregW

Congratulations Paul. Managing change is hard. To have done that without losing sight of the music or the people behind the company is truly a great achievement.

Posted on: 17 December 2016 by Mario

So many great friendships this thing called naim has made, you can see the the emotions pouring just from that embrace!

Thank you Paul, your work has reached us all in many ways especially when we connect with that thing we all love so much - music.

All the best,

Mario.

Posted on: 17 December 2016 by Bob the Builder

Happy Retirement best wishes.

Posted on: 17 December 2016 by Bob green

Hi Paul, met you some thirty five years ago when starting my naim jorney ,still using it ,it's just got a bit better over the years,all the best for thr future,regards Bob.

Posted on: 18 December 2016 by bdnyc

In my whole career in high end audio, one of my fondest memories is of a trip I made to Naim in the summer of 1999 with other dealers from the U.S. Julian was still alive, but already weakened by the disease that took him the next winter. The whole crew at Naim were wonderful hosts for our visit, but for me, the absolute peak of the trip was spent in Paul and Mrs. Stephenson's lovely home one afternoon, listening to their DBL system. As they plied us with coffee, tea and an apparently never ending plate of deserts, I tried to concentrate on the sound of the system in the ways I was already accustomed to. It was simply impossible to turn this into a solitary audiophile experience; the Naim gestalt Julian and Paul and many others had fostered was always about people enjoying music together. Even though I never got to own DBL's myself, the ideal of a music system being part of your life and sharing it with your friends and family which was cemented for me on this visit to Naim has never dimmed over time.

Thanks Paul!

Best wishes for the next phase of life,

Bruce

Posted on: 20 December 2016 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

Not a piece of cake Paul!

Good luck!