Director
Following a long career in the entertainment and music industries as a producer/director of major events and TV, Andy has more recently been working in digital infrastructure, content distribution and interactive IT projects
He helped Laurence set up Visual Energy in 2001 and has been involved in a consultant capacity through to the present. In this exciting phase of growth and development, Andy has assumed a more executive Chairman role in the company.
His early career in entertainment brought sponsorship into entertainment with some of the very first examples of matching Brands with content. (Brands such as S&N Breweries, Alcan, Pernod). Later, he created the long-lasting JVC Jazz Parade and the Coca-Cola Capital Radio Music Festival. As a TV Producer/Director he attained many credits for Major TV specials with artistes such as Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Beach Boys, for major global broadcasters including Warner Music and PBS America. He was project leader for the major UN initiative Children on the Front-line. A major event and US TV initiative. Whilst he was MD at Unique (now 7 Media plc.), he created ‘Proms in the Park’ and ‘BBC Music Live’ for the BBC – which remains a popular worldwide broadcast.
Separately, he developed a strand of the business to run major conferences for many international clients in the Communications and travel sector, producing on 4 continents and in over 35 countries. He was a partner with Philips on the EU Digital Watermarking Project (VIVA) and co-authored the Report.for the EU Commission. When he gets the time, Andy likes to play keyboards and sing very loudly.
Motto – “Everything in life is Show-business”.
Whilst working with the Red Bull Company for 5 years the CEO described Andy as “My Department of Common Sense”.
Director
Frances is a Dubai resident and an investor in Visual Energy, overseeing the Dubai operation for the Board.
Frances’ specialty is business development. She began her career as a Private Equity Analyst before she lead growth projects for the Wall Street Journal as a Business Development and Strategy Manager. After pausing briefly to complete her MBA at the Harvard Business School, she worked in Corporate Strategy at American Express in New York before moving to the Gulf with her husband.
Founder & Design Director
Laurence’s role in Visual energy is to direct the aesthetic vision for each of our projects, whilst grounding these in his wealth of practical expertise of lighting and lighting design. Laurence’s management leads the design team, development of client liaison and distribution of work to in-house and external consultants.
Laurence spent his first 6 years (from leaving school) in the entertainment lighting industry starting from maintenance engineering for Vari-Lite (the world’s largest concert lighting company at the time), and working on some of the most cutting edge entertainment lighting concepts of its time, Including playing a major part in the very large touring party scene for 50,000 people in the late 80’s and early 90’s rising to Head Engineering Draughtsman.
In the eighteen years since Laurence founded Visual energy in 2001, the company has grown from strength to strength and has been recognised by the industry as a leading lighting designer, working in many countries. Never resting on his laurels, Laurence puts the energy into Visual energy. He’s the kind of designer who likes to work with the client to seek out the best solution to each design challenge.
Contact one of our managers to arrange a visit from one of our designers.
