Capizzi prepares to cut his farewell cake at last month’s Summit sendoff.
Consumer tech vet to pass the torch this month
By Alan Wolf, YSN
There were mixed emotions on the EXPO floor at last month’s BrandSource Summit, where a champagne-and-cake sendoff was held for Expert Warehouse’s Jim Capizzi.
A 32-year veteran of the consumer tech sector, Capizzi capped his storied career with an eight-year run running AVB’s CE distribution arm. But that chapter will come to a close at month’s end, when the GM steps down and bids an industry, and his buying group, adieu.
“After 32 years of working for numerous manufacturers, I could not have spent the last eight in a more professional yet family-oriented business environment,” he said.
Indeed, Capizzi’s curriculum vitae reads like an “A” list of CES exhibitors. Starting out in the early 1980s at Toshiba, he assumed increased sales responsibilities at Samsung, Aiwa, Sony, Sharp and Motorola, before serving as a sales VP at Panasonic and a sales director at LG.
During his tenure at Expert Warehouse, Capizzi built a solid foundation for the growing operation and instilled his team with the unwavering confidence to meet its sales goals.
He’ll be succeeded on May 1 by Stephen Scotti, who earned his CE stripes working at Samsung for the past 18 years, most recently as director of distributor sales.
As for Capizzi, his immediate plans call for family time, travel and “getting a racquet back in my hand,” before leaving his native New Jersey for the cigar clubs of South Carolina.
“It’s been a great run,” he said. “The level of enthusiasm toward our main purpose of taking care of the members, and the true sincerity of the people running this company … I’m truly grateful to have been a part of that.”
Best wishes on the next chapter, Jim. You’ve earned it.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
