Damon Von Schweikert, President

Damon grew up learning loudspeaker design from his father and company founder, Albert von Schweikert, and hanging out with the most respected audio reviewers and designers of the day. Today, Damon is personally responsible for the final voicing of every speaker in the Von Schweikert line, including the entire flagship Ultra line of speakers that have won over 100 Best of Show awards. Before assuming the role of President, Damon served as the VP of Operations at both the firm's New York and California locations. Today, as the company’s President, Damon continues to be involved in all aspects of the company's operations. He leads product development and drives continuous improvement in all phases of Von Schweikert's production, quality control, and testing. He travels to our network of global partners to train them on Von Schweikert's system setup, core technology, and the foundational acoustic principles, first developed by Albert nearly 50 years ago. In the uber-competitive world of high-end audio, Damon continues to inspire the team by reminding us that “our mission is not to be the biggest, but to be the best.”

Gary Leeds, Executive Vice President & CMO

Gary is a driven entrepreneur with nearly five decades of diversified business management and leadership experience, including founding firms in the high-end audio, investment banking, healthcare, plastics manufacturing, digital media, and communication sectors. Learning the art and science of sound reproduction and pursuing the best in high-end audio has been a lifelong pursuit that has included experience in retail sales, marketing, and ownership of several well-respected audio firms. In his 20s, Gary received his formal training from Mike Kay, owner of the renowned audio salon Lyric Hi-Fi in New York City, regarded as the father of modern high-end retailing. Gary was present when Mike launched iconic audio brands, including Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Magnaplanar, Infinity, Nakamichi, and others. This experience formed the basis of Gary’s future efforts in the field, which ultimately led to his recognition as a leader in the field. In addition to his role at Von Schweikert, Gary is Managing Partner of Hear This, a US Importer of high-end electronics brands, including WestminsterLab, Rockna Audio, and Trafomatic Audio. Gary’s extensive experience in speaker design and manufacturing, along with his keen eye for products that stand out from the crowd, makes him ideally suited to support Damon and the Von Schweikert Team as they enter an exciting new chapter.

Steven Norber, Director of Audio Engineering

Steven is the owner and Chief Engineer of Prana Fidelity, a high-end loudspeaker and electronics firm located in Denver, Colorado. Prior to Prana, he was the co-founder of Edge Electronics, a high-end electronics firm best known for its innovative laser bias amplifier circuit. Steven joined Von Schweikert as its Senior Director of Engineering, making his first contribution with the VR.thirty, which debuted at the Capital Audio Fest in November 2024 to wide acclaim. The Absolute Sound recently awarded the VR.thirty a Golden Ear. Damon considers Steven to be the most gifted loudspeaker designer he has worked with, other than perhaps his father, Albert Von Schweikert. Steven trained in yoga and classical dance (ballet) and performed with several regional ballet companies. Along with PranaFidelity, Steven and his wife, Kelly Moore, own a health and wellness center in Denver, CO, where Steven regularly teaches yoga to students at all levels. In Steven's words: "The parallels between music, movement, stillness, and their impetus remain. Debussy said it best: “The space between the notes makes the music."

John Heins, Creative Director

John grew up with a passion for discovering music anywhere he could find it and has always had an interest in the faithful reproduction of sound. He also has dozens of speaker designs to his credit under the Heinsenfolg brand of bespoke lifestyle audio products. His industrial design, marketing, and brand development skills were started during his education at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. John’s 35 year design career developing consumer brands includes JVC, PS Audio, Innersound, Modern Fidelity, Milagro (10th best selling tequila globally), Twisted Tea by Sam Adams (#1 best selling malt beverage globally), Kraft Foods, and Saucony. John’s expertise in high-end audio began in 2002 when he served as VP of Marketing & Design for Innersound in Boulder, CO, where he helped create the brand's award-winning industrial design for loudspeakers and amplification. John's designs and ad campaigns in high-end audio have been featured in The Absolute Sound, Stereophile, and the Robb Report, where his designs were awarded “Best Speaker Design of the Year” by Architectural Digest. In early 2024, John completed the modernization of Von Schweikert’s brand image and continues to lead the way for the company’s future brand awareness and industrial design with an eye towards timeless high style & universal appeal.

Matt Eberhardt, General Manager

Matt is the heartbeat of Von Schweikert Operations, including build, testing, QC, supply partner relations, and logistics. Matt started with the Company in 2011 and has grown steadily in his responsibilities, being appointed General Manager in September 2023. Matt is a key member of our new product development team, making sure that any designs submitted by engineering can be efficiently replicated in actual production. He also oversees a key point for our paint and cabinet partners, ensuring that every VS speaker produced meets specifications. Due to their intricacy, Matt is responsible for building the majority of our statement-level speakers, including the Ultra 7, 9, and 11 models. While handling a variety of duties, Matt taught himself the latest CAD software system and regularly used these tools to verify and update part specifications, as well as suggest design details to engineering to improve product quality and consistency in the factory environment. Matt is a father of one, a passionate music lover, and enjoys collecting mechanical watches.

Jerome “Jerry” Mandelbaum, Chief Financial Officer

Before joining Von Schweikert, Jerry served as CFO at Modern Fidelity, a manufacturer of high-end streaming speakers. Jerry began his career at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, where he served as a VP of commercial loans to a variety of businesses, with a focus on the music industry, specifically record labels. Jerry is an avid jazz and music lover, producing the acclaimed Bebop album "Quixotic" with the Stein Brothers. Jerry was also the CFO at Screemzone, a digital media company that was an early pioneer in the IP-based distribution of music and movie content. Later, he rejoined Gary Leeds as CFO of Codex Advisors, a boutique investment banking firm specializing in advising lower-middle-market firms. Jerry has also held posts as Treasurer and President at several 501 C non-profit entities focused on media and the arts. Jerry holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Emory University. His ability to help manage growing entrepreneurial firms is a key to helping execute Von Schweikert's ambitious plans for the future.