OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTN), a provider of digital cinema projection equipment and services, cinema screens and other cinema products, today announced the appointment of Mary A. Carstens as its Chief Financial Officer. Former CFO Kevin S. Herrmann, will continue to serve the Company in a senior financial role as Vice President, Treasurer and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Herrmann will also remain active in shareholder relations.
Ms. Carstens brings nearly three decades of accounting, financial planning, business development, auditing, international and related corporate experience to her position at Ballantyne. Since 2005, she has served in senior financial roles at Belden, Inc., (NYSE: BDC), a manufacturer and marketer of cable and networking products. Most recently, she was CFO, Vice President Finance of its Asia Pacific Division. Among her accomplishments at Belden, Ms. Carstens was instrumental in driving significant improvements in working capital levels, sales force effectiveness and overall corporate efficiency through disciplined budgetary management.
President and CEO Gary L. Cavey, commented, “Mary brings a wealth of corporate experience and numerous key attributes to Ballantyne, including substantial Asian expertise. To pursue the worldwide opportunities we see in the exhibition industry, as well as to execute on the goal of building our business both organically and through acquisitions, we recognized that we needed to further augment the Company’s senior team with a proven global financial executive. Mary will build on the solid foundation Kevin has established and benefit from his industry expertise and tenure with Ballantyne.
“Mary has achieved noteworthy success at a senior level at several respected, multi-billion dollar corporations. She oversaw Belden’s finance, IT and legal compliance functions in the Asia Pacific region, including China and India, from her office in Hong Kong. We are delighted to welcome Mary to our senior executive team and look forward to her playing a critical role in helping us drive future profitable growth and operational success.”
Ms. Carstens was also a financial executive at A.O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), a global manufacturing conglomerate, from 1994 to 2005. Among her positions was Divisional Manager of Cost Accounting at their Electrical Products Company unit in Ohio. Her prior experience was primarily in public accountancy.
Ms. Carstens stated, “In my short time here, I have been very impressed with Ballantyne’s focus on putting the customer first and its Company-wide desire to uphold a near eight-decade record of delivering exemplary products and services to cinema exhibitors around the world. I am excited about the opportunity to build on Ballantyne’s long track record of success and look forward to playing an important role in charting our future.”
Ms. Carstens graduated Cum Laude in 1984 with a BS in Accounting and Business Administration from Black Hills State University. She received her CPA license in 1986.
About Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (www.ballantyne-strong.com)
Ballantyne is a provider of motion picture projection, digital cinema projection, cinema screen technology and specialty lighting equipment and services. The Company supplies major theater chains, top arenas, television and motion picture production studios, theme parks and architectural sites around the world.
Except for the historical information in this press release, it includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, quarterly fluctuations in results; customer demand for the Company’s products; the development of new technology for alternate means of motion picture presentation; domestic and international economic conditions; the management of growth; and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Actual results may differ materially from management’s expectations.