Jamie van den Bergh, a telecommunications industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience, has been selected as the new president of Clarity, the Chattnaooga-based amplified phone maker owned by Plantronics Inc.Jamie van den Bergh, a telecommunications industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience, has been selected as the new president of Clarity, the Chattanooga-based amplified phone maker owned by Plantronics Inc.
Van den Bergh will succeed Carsten Trads, who is retiring on May 15 after more than a decade at the helm of Clarity.
"Jamie is a tremendous leader who not only knows the market and has a wealth of experience in the consumer electronics and telecommunications space, but he has a deep understanding of the people Clarity serves -- the aging consumer," said Joe Burton, Plantronics' executive vice president and chief technology officer. "Previously, as Clarity's vice president of marketing and sales, Jamie spearheaded a series of industry firsts that helped grow the business into the market leader it is today."
Clarity was formed in 1969 by BellSouth engineer Wesley Walker in Ringgold, Ga., and, after relocating to Chattanooga, was acquiredby Plantronics in 1986. The company is one of the largest sellers of amplified telephone and other telecommunications equipment targeted at seniors.
Van den Bergh was selected as president following Plantronics' completion of a nationwide executive search. Since 2007, he has served as Clarity's vice president of sales and marketing. In this role, he helped launch several groundbreaking products, including the first cellphone exclusively for seniors and ClarityLife, a caregiver communications platform. Van den Bergh also formed a series of successful strategic product development and channel partnerships for Clarity.
"I am honored to serve as the president of Clarity at a time when the need for our products and services is more important than ever before as America ages," said van den Bergh. "I've had the great opportunity to work with Carsten and our incredible team here in Chattanooga, a city that is bursting with innovation."
Prior to Clarity, van den Bergh worked as a director and vice president at Motorola and Giant International. He was tapped to launch Motorola's OEM (original equipment manufacturer) Energy Products business in 1995 and subsequently led the international operations for Motorola's consumer products division.
Trads is stepping down to return home to his native Denmark to lend support to a family health issue.