Electrosonic Co-Founder Bob Simpson Passes Away, At 82 Years

April 28, 2022 by Dave Haynes

The co-founder of the much-respected pro AV design firm Electrosonic – Bob Simpson – has passed away, peacefully, at the age of 82.

I know of the company but never met the man, so I will hand this off to the material in the announcement this afternoon …

Mr. Simpson who went by Bob was an innovator and an industry icon who dedicated his professional life to understanding and expanding the audiovisual industry through a vision to invent and use technology in creative ways to build lasting experiences where people live, work and play. 

The world has lost a visionary and a kind and thoughtful man. Bob shaped and formed what we know as the contemporary audiovisual and experiential technology industry, it’s now commonplace to expect jaw-dropping, large-scale and complex audiovisual installations in theme parks, museums, corporate campuses and cultural landmarks but that wasn’t always the case. There always has to be a first to do something extraordinary and Bob was the pioneer that took the first step. 

To comment on the passing, Ewan Smith Electrosonic’s Global President and Managing Director commented, “It is heartbreaking to have heard the news this week, my heartfelt condolences to Bob’s family and his loved ones and to every individual that had the privilege to meet, to grab a drink with or if you’re lucky enough to work with Bob. We have lost such an incredible soul and an icon in the industry.”

Bob co-founded Electrosonic Ltd on March 3rd, 1964 alongside Denis Naisbitt and Michael Ray. Electrosonic’s origins were humble and our three co-founders very first office consisted of two unfurnished rooms above a potato stall in the Greenwich Vegetable Market. With the leadership of Bob, Electrosonic grew exponentially to become a global powerhouse and go-to technology advisor for the world’s biggest theme parks, entertainment figures and fortune 500 organizations with offices in the UK, US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. From its inception up until 2004, Bob served as Chairman of Electrosonic Ltd and from 2005-2015 served as a director of and advisor to the international Electrosonic Group up until his retirement in 2016. 

To comment on the passing, Philip Aminoff Chairman of Helvar Merca Oy Ab, (the ownership group of Electrosonic) commented, “Of all the people I have known, Bob, through his ability to combine deep professionalism with such a good sense of what it means to be a human being, has had a special position in my life as a valued person to look up to.”

To complement his massive contributions to Electrosonic, Bob was an industry figure, publishing several books including; ‘Videowalls – The Book of the Big Electronic Image’ and ‘Lighting Control – Technology and Applications as well as ‘Electrosonic – 50 Years on the Audio-Visual Front Line.’ These many contributions to the industry led to Bob’s inclusion as a life member to the SMPTE, a fellow of the BKSTS, awarded the Infocomm Distinguished Achievement award and in 2017 awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the audiovisual industry. 

Through his work, leadership and efforts to advance Electrosonic and the audiovisual industry, Bob touched the lives of thousands of people around the world. His legacy, influence and inspiration will forever be felt here with his Electrosonic family and beyond. 

I had to crop the photo to fit the formatting, but here is the full version, showing him with his MBE, which is a big deal for Brits.