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The Next Chapter of Pro AV: Leadership, Legacy, and Mentorship
Executive Summary
- Leadership and Mentorship: The AV/IT industry transition is framed by the mentorship between Ali Haghjoo, Ilya Khayn, and Ken Eagle, highlighting how passing the torch preserves institutional knowledge and fosters strategic continuity.
- Unified Ecosystem: To address the rapid convergence of AV/IT, Hall Research has evolved into a unified umbrella for specialized brands, creating a one-stop ecosystem designed for modern integrator needs.
- The Human Element: The leaders emphasize that the industry’s long-term success relies on investing in people, staying humble, and remaining nimble in a changing landscape.
The Pro AV industry is witnessing a unique convergence of history and future. In a recent discussion, Cindy Davis, content director of AV Technology, brought together three influential CEOs whose careers have fundamentally shaped the landscape of commercial audiovisual technology over the last three decades. The gathering featured Ali Haghjoo, the founder and former CEO of Hall Research; Ilya Khayn, the former CEO of Atlona; and Ken Eagle, the current CEO of Hall Research. This conversation was not merely a retrospective of past successes but an exploration of how leadership, mentorship, and legacy interact as one generation passes the torch to the next.
The Visionaries' Roots
The foundation of today's Pro AV sector was built by visionaries such as Haghjoo and Khayn, who identified niche needs and transformed them into global standards. Hall Research, founded by Haghjoo in 1984, originally had its roots in the aerospace industry, providing sensor signal conditioning for Northrop Grumman. However, Haghjoo sought a more stable market and pivoted toward the burgeoning PC and IT sectors of the early 1990s. "I decided to design and introduce some products in that line," Haghjoo recalled. "Once you make a product and you go to market and you talk to people, ideas just mushroom." This led to breakthroughs in KVM switches and video over twisted pair, a technology Haghjoo famously adapted from DSL internet chips—what he calls "off-label medicine use" for technology.
Parallel to this, Atlona emerged as a powerhouse in the commercial AV space under the leadership of Khayn. Atlona’s success was predicated on a customer-centric startup mentality. Khayn focused on providing simple, effective solutions for classrooms and meeting spaces that didn't require complex programming. "Everyone in the company was trying to get that feedback and bring this up to the company so we can execute and move fast," Khayn explained. By focusing on auto-switching and sensing, Atlona became one of the most recognized names in the industry, proving that listening to the customer is the most reliable engine for growth.
The Full Circle Journey
A compelling narrative in this transition is the career path of Ken Eagle. His journey represents a "full circle" moment for the industry. Earlier in his career, Eagle worked under Khayn at Atlona, where he built a renowned training program and learned the intricacies of the manufacturing side of the business. Years later, following a series of acquisitions and market shifts, Eagle was named the CEO of Hall Research.
Reflecting on this unique position, Eagle admitted, "I never imagined it. That being said, where we are today, I'm not at all surprised." His experience at Atlona provided the manufacturing foundation, while his subsequent move to Hall Research allowed him to experience a different vertical of the critical environment of medical AV.
The Full Circle AV Industry Journey
A compelling narrative in this transition is the career path of Ken Eagle. His journey represents a "full circle" moment for the industry. Earlier in his career, Eagle worked under Khayn at Atlona, where he built a renowned training program and learned the intricacies of the manufacturing side of the business. Years later, following a series of acquisitions and market shifts, Eagle was named the CEO of Hall Research.
Reflecting on this unique position, Eagle admitted, "I never imagined it. That being said, where we are today, I'm not at all surprised." His experience at Atlona provided the manufacturing foundation, while his subsequent move to Hall Research allowed him to experience a different vertical of the critical environment of medical AV.
Mentorship and Continuity
The transition of leadership in Pro AV is often viewed through the lens of mergers and acquisitions, but for Eagle, it was defined by mentorship. Both Haghjoo and Khayn played pivotal roles in shaping his approach to the CEO role. Haghjoo guided Eagle through the nuances of continuity. "Ali and I had a great relationship and kind of under his mentorship kind of showed me the ropes of being the CEO," Eagle shared. Haghjoo emphasized that his role was to provide a product development roadmap and introduce Eagle to key customers to ensure stability.
Haghjoo spoke highly of his successor: "Ken has got such natural instincts and talents for being a great CEO. He has the ability to see the big picture while at the same time focusing on things that need attention." This mutual respect ensured that the transition was not a disruption but a strategic evolution of the company's identity.
Navigating a Rapidly Changing AV Industry
The industry Eagle now leads is vastly different from the one Haghjoo and Khayn entered. The three discussed the rapid convergence of AV and IT, the shift toward user experience over hardware specs, and the looming impact of artificial intelligence. Khayn noted that the three key impacts he observes from the sidelines are the total merger of AV and IT, the focus on user experience, and the increasing "intelligence" of devices. "Enterprise AV will become as intuitive as consumer electronics," Khayn predicted. "You scan a QR code and everything works."
Haghjoo added that the maturity of technologies like USB-C and HDMI has finally reduced the compatibility "hesitancy" of the early days. Meanwhile, Eagle highlighted that AI is changing the very way these companies operate. "AI has changed the way we do business," he noted. "Not only does it affect our product ... it affects the way that we actually run our business and do business and communicate."
The New Ecosystem: A Strategic Vision
To address these changes, Eagle has implemented a significant restructuring of the brands under the Hall Research umbrella. He has moved away from a single-brand approach to create a unified ecosystem. Under this new structure, Hall Technologies focuses specifically on the medical AV vertical, while Atlona remains the core brand for ProAV installations, signal management, and distribution.
Earlier in 2026, Eagle spun off specialized brands to make the catalog more accessible: Gain Audio for professional audio solutions, Captivate for unified communication and collaboration (UCC) tools, and Javelin for premium cables and accessories. "When you bundle Hall, Atlona, Gain, Javelin together, you've got an ecosystem, a catalog of products you can build almost anything you want out of all under one umbrella," Eagle explained. This "one-stop shopping" mentality is designed to meet the modern integrator's need for seamless interoperability.
Looking Ahead: The Human Element
Despite the focus on 8K, AI, and global roadmaps, the three concluded with a reminder that the industry remains fundamentally human. When asked what advice he would give his younger self, Eagle didn't mention technology; he mentioned people. "Invest in people more," Eagle said. "The people you put around you are so important and they really shape your business and how successful you'll be."
This sentiment was echoed by the former CEOs. Haghjoo reminded the next generation that "the company is not the CEO, is not the building, is not the products, it's the people." Ilya Khayn added his final advice for the leaders of tomorrow: "Be humble, listen, be nimble, move fast... Great people build great companies."
As Hall Research moves into its next chapter under Eagle's leadership, it carries with it the engineering precision of Ali Haghjoo and the customer-centric speed of Ilya Khayn. The Pro AV industry is indeed changing, but as this gathering of CEOs proved, the values of mentorship and trust are the constants that will guide it through the next five years and beyond.
