TOM SUMNER
PRESIDENT
YAMAHA CORP. OF AMERICA
WHO: Leads Yamaha’s U.S. division based in Buena Park, his second time as president after a six-year run from 2006 to 2012; first joined the maker of musical instruments and sound gear in 1988. Also sits on the executive committee of the National Association of Music Merchants, which puts on the annual NAMM show in Anaheim.
IN THE NEWS: Yamaha completed a new 75K-sq.-ft. headquarters building in April, spanning two floors. Attracted over 9K people across two nights at NAMM, where artists CeCe Winans and Jon Batiste performed, marking the convention’s two largest attended concerts ever.
NOTABLE: Works personally to ensure Yamaha-sponsored singers and musicians work and perform in masterclasses at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in Santa Ana, where both of his children attended.
