Interview with Brian Hill Audiologist and International Business Development Manager, SeboTek Hearing Systems, Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Topic: SeboTek and Global Expansion
Beck: Good Morning Brian. Thanks for your time this fine day!
Hill: Hi Doug. Thanks for the opportunity.
Beck: Brian, let's start with a "thumbnail sketch" of your professional education please.
Hill: Absolutely Doug. I did my undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut, and then came to Texas in 1979. I did my graduate work at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. The school was exceptional and I really had a wonderful experience there. In 1981, I joined the Army and started as a Lieutenant at Walter Reed Medical Center and worked under Major Gus Mueller throughout my CFY. Back in those days we didn't have commercially available real ear probe mic systems, Thornton and Raffin had recently published their classic word recognition score work, and we were still selecting hearing aids with similar electro-acoustic characteristics, three at a time with stock earmolds, using monosyllabic words, and trying to choose the best hearing aid fit. Things sure have changed! But in retrospect, even though we were lower tech, we had an emphasis on aural rehabilitation and our fittings were enormously successful. I was active duty for 12 years, and it was just fabulous.
Beck: Brian, weren't you one of the dozen or so audiologists deployed during Desert Storm?
Hill: Yes, that's right. It was 1991 and I was one of the 11 Army audiologists sent to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm. Our primary focus was rapid redeployment of soldiers back to the USA. The military was very concerned about getting the final physicals, paychecks and sending the soldiers back to their families as soon as possible. We had eleven mobile vehicles with sound-booths and ABR equipment and everything we needed to do evaluations on-site, and that expedited the process of sending the soldiers home. As it turned out, we did thousands of audiometric evaluations. After that, I was at a major US hearing aid retailer and then spent six years with Telex Hearing Instruments. After completing my MBA, I left the hearing care industry for a while, and returned when I joined SeboTek in the spring of 2004.
Beck: And you've been working to open up distribution sites across Europe since that time?
Hill: Yes, it has been my distinct pleasure to lead SeboTek's global expansion efforts, and it has been an incredible experience. My primary responsibilities are sales and marketing in the international arena, and at this time I am focusing our efforts on the European continent. We started by introducing the SeboTek PAC into Europe soon after we were awarded the ISO9001 and 13485 Registration and the attainment of the CE mark...all of these indicate and reflect the quality of our products. This achievement allowed us to sell into Europe and these certifications indicate that our systems and processes are of a high quality too, not just the end-products.
Beck: And that really is necessary if you're going to be competitive in the international arena.
Hill: Yes, absolutely. If you cannot obtain a quality assurance certification, the buyers and the regulatory agents will want to know why not! But because we have these quality assurances, we can sell our products in 28 European economic areas, which makes the European market about the same size as the USA, but it is even more challenging because of the protocols, rules and regulations. They vary tremendously from nation-to-nation.
Beck: And throughout Europe, the acceptance rate of BTEs is higher isn't it?
Hill: Yes, clearly it is. In some nations up to 60 percent of the purchases are BTE. There is a strong trend in favor of same-session, personalized fit products, like PAC.
Beck: Where was the first distributor in Europe?
Hill: The first distributor was in the Netherlands and they reach into Belgium and Luxemburg, too. Since that time we've expanded to five more countries and in 2005 will likely add a dozen more around the world. Each of the countries we enter is unique and so we needed to understand their cultural and linguistic issues. Of course, dispensing practices, insurance and reimbursement issues vary country-by-country as well. So it's quite an interesting and wonderful challenge and opportunity to bring SeboTek to the international arena.
Beck: Can you share with me some of the attributes and features of SeboTek PAC style instruments?
Hill: Sure Doug. One of the really fun things to know about the PAC style is that it is cosmetically discreet, really simple to use, yet they are highly sophisticated instruments. By definition, Post-Auricular-Canal (PAC) hearing instruments are characterized by the separation of the sound processor from a deep canal fitted speaker that rests in the bony portion of the canal. The tiny sound processor is worn above the Pinna in the natural pocket formed behind the ear. The deep canal speaker is mechanically isolated from the sound processor, connected by a wire allowing for the reduction or elimination of feedback. The speaker outlet, when placed deeply into the canal eliminates occlusion effects known to be generated by vibration of the cartilaginous region of the ear. Incredibly comfortable and nearly invisible!
We currently offer two different models; the Voice-Q™ 720 PAC and the Voice-Q ™ 510 PAC. Both models have processors with 20 bit resolution and a 32 kilohertz sampling rate, giving us a very wide bandwidth. Both are built to be moisture resistant using a solid state, wire free design. The top of the line is the Voice-Q 720 PAC with four memories, matched microphones and a high fidelity DSP -- it sounds amazing. It also has noise management, and each of the four channels has expansion. By design, the least used feature is the feedback manager due to the speaker placement! It has 50 directional polar patterns, and so it's pretty much loaded with features. The Voice-Q 510 is the six-band, multi channel, two memory PAC model. It has the same high fidelity and power of the 720 and is even easier for the patient to operate.
The best way to work through the models is to view the attached PDF files at the end of the interview.
Here's another issue, SeboTek PAC is far more powerful than many audiologists think. The fit range is extensive; accommodating mild to severe losses of all configurations (flat, sloping, ski slope, reverse slope, cookie bite). Pragmatically both models approach maximum 132dB output and 62dB gain based on the way they're worn deep in the canal, and the extended high frequency response when activated is amazingly flat out to 14 thousand hertz.
Beck: OK, I have to admit, this is very impressive. Are you still looking for people to work with you in the international arena as business development managers, and also as distributors?
Hill: Yes, I am looking for both actually. So, if any of the readers are interested, they can feel free to contact me at my email address bhill@sebotek.com.
Beck: Brian, thanks for your time today. I wish you continued success and safe travels.
Hill: Thanks Doug. It's been great working with you, and I appreciate the opportunity.
- - - - - - - -
For more information on the SeboTek® Voice-Q™ PAC Hearing Instruments, select Voice-Q 510 PAC or Voice-Q 720 PAC to review PDF specifications.
For more information and to visit the SeboTek website, Click Here.
Hill: Hi Doug. Thanks for the opportunity.
Beck: Brian, let's start with a "thumbnail sketch" of your professional education please.
Hill: Absolutely Doug. I did my undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut, and then came to Texas in 1979. I did my graduate work at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. The school was exceptional and I really had a wonderful experience there. In 1981, I joined the Army and started as a Lieutenant at Walter Reed Medical Center and worked under Major Gus Mueller throughout my CFY. Back in those days we didn't have commercially available real ear probe mic systems, Thornton and Raffin had recently published their classic word recognition score work, and we were still selecting hearing aids with similar electro-acoustic characteristics, three at a time with stock earmolds, using monosyllabic words, and trying to choose the best hearing aid fit. Things sure have changed! But in retrospect, even though we were lower tech, we had an emphasis on aural rehabilitation and our fittings were enormously successful. I was active duty for 12 years, and it was just fabulous.
Beck: Brian, weren't you one of the dozen or so audiologists deployed during Desert Storm?
Hill: Yes, that's right. It was 1991 and I was one of the 11 Army audiologists sent to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm. Our primary focus was rapid redeployment of soldiers back to the USA. The military was very concerned about getting the final physicals, paychecks and sending the soldiers back to their families as soon as possible. We had eleven mobile vehicles with sound-booths and ABR equipment and everything we needed to do evaluations on-site, and that expedited the process of sending the soldiers home. As it turned out, we did thousands of audiometric evaluations. After that, I was at a major US hearing aid retailer and then spent six years with Telex Hearing Instruments. After completing my MBA, I left the hearing care industry for a while, and returned when I joined SeboTek in the spring of 2004.
Beck: And you've been working to open up distribution sites across Europe since that time?
Hill: Yes, it has been my distinct pleasure to lead SeboTek's global expansion efforts, and it has been an incredible experience. My primary responsibilities are sales and marketing in the international arena, and at this time I am focusing our efforts on the European continent. We started by introducing the SeboTek PAC into Europe soon after we were awarded the ISO9001 and 13485 Registration and the attainment of the CE mark...all of these indicate and reflect the quality of our products. This achievement allowed us to sell into Europe and these certifications indicate that our systems and processes are of a high quality too, not just the end-products.
Beck: And that really is necessary if you're going to be competitive in the international arena.
Hill: Yes, absolutely. If you cannot obtain a quality assurance certification, the buyers and the regulatory agents will want to know why not! But because we have these quality assurances, we can sell our products in 28 European economic areas, which makes the European market about the same size as the USA, but it is even more challenging because of the protocols, rules and regulations. They vary tremendously from nation-to-nation.
Beck: And throughout Europe, the acceptance rate of BTEs is higher isn't it?
Hill: Yes, clearly it is. In some nations up to 60 percent of the purchases are BTE. There is a strong trend in favor of same-session, personalized fit products, like PAC.
Beck: Where was the first distributor in Europe?
Hill: The first distributor was in the Netherlands and they reach into Belgium and Luxemburg, too. Since that time we've expanded to five more countries and in 2005 will likely add a dozen more around the world. Each of the countries we enter is unique and so we needed to understand their cultural and linguistic issues. Of course, dispensing practices, insurance and reimbursement issues vary country-by-country as well. So it's quite an interesting and wonderful challenge and opportunity to bring SeboTek to the international arena.
Beck: Can you share with me some of the attributes and features of SeboTek PAC style instruments?
Hill: Sure Doug. One of the really fun things to know about the PAC style is that it is cosmetically discreet, really simple to use, yet they are highly sophisticated instruments. By definition, Post-Auricular-Canal (PAC) hearing instruments are characterized by the separation of the sound processor from a deep canal fitted speaker that rests in the bony portion of the canal. The tiny sound processor is worn above the Pinna in the natural pocket formed behind the ear. The deep canal speaker is mechanically isolated from the sound processor, connected by a wire allowing for the reduction or elimination of feedback. The speaker outlet, when placed deeply into the canal eliminates occlusion effects known to be generated by vibration of the cartilaginous region of the ear. Incredibly comfortable and nearly invisible!
We currently offer two different models; the Voice-Q™ 720 PAC and the Voice-Q ™ 510 PAC. Both models have processors with 20 bit resolution and a 32 kilohertz sampling rate, giving us a very wide bandwidth. Both are built to be moisture resistant using a solid state, wire free design. The top of the line is the Voice-Q 720 PAC with four memories, matched microphones and a high fidelity DSP -- it sounds amazing. It also has noise management, and each of the four channels has expansion. By design, the least used feature is the feedback manager due to the speaker placement! It has 50 directional polar patterns, and so it's pretty much loaded with features. The Voice-Q 510 is the six-band, multi channel, two memory PAC model. It has the same high fidelity and power of the 720 and is even easier for the patient to operate.
The best way to work through the models is to view the attached PDF files at the end of the interview.
Here's another issue, SeboTek PAC is far more powerful than many audiologists think. The fit range is extensive; accommodating mild to severe losses of all configurations (flat, sloping, ski slope, reverse slope, cookie bite). Pragmatically both models approach maximum 132dB output and 62dB gain based on the way they're worn deep in the canal, and the extended high frequency response when activated is amazingly flat out to 14 thousand hertz.
Beck: OK, I have to admit, this is very impressive. Are you still looking for people to work with you in the international arena as business development managers, and also as distributors?
Hill: Yes, I am looking for both actually. So, if any of the readers are interested, they can feel free to contact me at my email address bhill@sebotek.com.
Beck: Brian, thanks for your time today. I wish you continued success and safe travels.
Hill: Thanks Doug. It's been great working with you, and I appreciate the opportunity.
- - - - - - - -
For more information on the SeboTek® Voice-Q™ PAC Hearing Instruments, select Voice-Q 510 PAC or Voice-Q 720 PAC to review PDF specifications.
For more information and to visit the SeboTek website, Click Here.
