Title: Vice President of Technical Integration
Company: Verrex
Location: Mountainside, NJ
Overtime: Dandola-Grubb plays trumpet in the 70-piece Raritan Valley Symphonic Band, and his Wednesday night practices give him a chance to escape and just focus on music. Apart from music, he enjoys playing with LEGO with his kids or on his own, recreating castles that have always fascinated him.
Why You Need to Know Him: He has spent the past two decades at Verrex, completing more than $80 million in projects as a project engineer. He has utilized this experience to influence internal strategy and operations.
Ben Dandola-Grubb never thought he'd make a career in the AV industry, but like many others, his curiosity and eagerness to learn led him to discover something unexpected. “My college degree is in electrical engineering, and while I figured I'd do something engineering related as a career, I didn't know it would be AV,” he said.
During college, he borrowed a projector weekly for big-screen movie nights—that was pretty much the extent of his AV experience. But after graduation, as he explored different job options, he developed an interest in the systems and technologies that shape modern communication environments.
In 2005, his interest motivated him to proactively reach out to Verrex, even though they were advertising a receptionist position, and he secured the role of assistant project engineer, beginning his two-decade career with the company. Dandola-Grubb has grown alongside Verrex, earning his CTS certification within his first year with the company, and began taking on more complex projects.
“I was assigned my first $1 million-plus design-build project as a solo project engineer in 2007,” he recalled. “The main architect on that construction project gave me a run for my money the entire time, since I was the 25-year-old kid handling a complex project.”
As the company expanded globally, Dandola-Grubb supported their growth by helping them complete $25 million in international projects, and he continued his leadership role as director of global engineering services and assistant VP of engineering, where he fostered collaboration between sales and operations. Now, as VP of technical integration, Dandola-Grubb focuses on shaping Verrex's future rather than managing individual projects.
“While I still interface with clients regularly, I'm focusing on the evolution of internal processes to improve efficiency, both pre and post-sales, and on creating workflows for potential new business lines, as technologies are advancing faster than ever,” he said.
Dandola-Grubb has a unique ability to blend extensive technical expertise with strong interpersonal skills, describing himself as the nerdy backroom engineer and the most polished salesperson. He also maintains a calm, solutions-oriented mindset and values listening and collaboration. No matter the pressure, he finds solutions to every problem.
“Ben is the kind of leader every organization hopes to develop—technically sharp, collaborative, and deeply passionate in delivering results for clients and internal teams alike,” said Bill Chamberlin, president of Verrex. “As he continues to take on larger initiatives, what stands out most is his ability to bring people together to solve complex challenges.”
One of the things Dandola-Grubb is most proud of is his role in shaping Verrex's culture and mentoring the next generation of AV professionals. His leadership philosophy emphasizes empowerment by providing team members with the tools and confidence to succeed, while also fostering collaboration within the team.
“I encourage every employee to customize their workflow because we're all different,” he said. “I show people exactly how I do everything, then instruct them to experiment to determine what makes them most efficient.”
