Executive Management

Brian Lagestee oversees the company's Revenue Management efforts, which are designed to optimize business processes and maximize profit. As PSAV’s customer base grows its revenue management team seeks to understand customer channels and develop strategies to provide the right product to the right customer at the right time. 

Lagestee began work in the industry at a family owned audiovisual rental, staging, and installation services company before joining Marriott’s MVP system in 1990.  He joined PSAV in 1994 and has had progressive assignments in hotel property AV management, human resources, regional operations, sales development, and research and development for Presentation Services.  Lagestee has a B.A. in business management from California State University at Fullerton.

Ali Vafa brings almost 15 years of audiovisual industry experience to his role as head of Presentation Services' Central Region. Vafa is responsible for over 150 hotels, representing more than $95 million in annual revenue; from Texas through Minnesota. Vafa is also responsible for PSAV's Canadian operations.

Vafa started as a production manager for various commercial and television shows, and was an audio and video technician for sporting events. Joining Bauer Audio Visual, Vafa moved into the meetings and events business and stayed with PSAV after its acquisition of Bauer in 1997. Vafa has a B.S. from the University of Texas' School of Communication.

John Rissi brings over 20 years of industry related experience to his oversight of Presentation Services' Western Region. He is directly responsible for over 150 hotels representing more than $100 million in annual revenue, from New Mexico to Hawaii.

Rissi was President of Audio Visual America in 1995 when Bauer Audio Visual acquired his company. He then ran Bauer's national staging operation and its West Coast hotel operations. Rissi joined PSAV in 1997 when the company acquired Bauer Audio Visual. Rissi has a BS in business administration from Grand Canyon University.

With decades of experience in the production and staging business, Augie Dellapi oversees all aspects of production design for PSAV's Creative Services offering. 

Under his leadership, PSAV remains a leading provider of the newest high-definition, high-resolution, broadcast-quality presentation technology. Dellapi ensures that the creation of creative elements along with the appropriate technology are seamlessly integrated together to fit within the client's requirements and that the outflows portray the image they wish to promote for their company or products.

Dellapi began his career in 1985 working in a 35mm slide module library for the New York City production company Caribiner. There he spent the next 14 years progressing through the creative ranks, settling in at the top spot of National Director of Technical Services.  Dellapi left New York in 1999 to head PSAV’s Show Solutions division in Atlanta, where he immediately began fostering relationships with PSAV's now long-term Fortune 100 clients. Dellapi has a B.A. in communications from William Patterson University.

Paul Wedesky has more than 20 years of operations and sales experience in event technology services and is responsible for performance of PSAV's market-focused convention and tradeshow teams; managing nearly $100 million in sales revenue and directing the activity of hundreds of employees.

Wedesky began his career in audiovisual operations management and moved into convention sales. Joining PSAV in 1997 as VP of Sales, he received progressive management assignments. Wedesky has worked on various committees within PCMA, MPI, ASAE, HSMAI, IAEM, and several city convention bureaus. Wedesky has a B.A. in business from Southern Illinois University.

Stephen Lipa oversees PSAV’s Eastern Region of its Hotel Services Division. Lipa began working with PSAV in 2003 - first as Regional Vice President, then as Divisional Vice President – before promotion to his current role in September 2009. Prior to joining PSAV, he was vice president for Expotel Hospitality in New Orleans where he oversaw operations of hotel properties across the United States.

In the 1990s, Lipa was general manager of Pontchartrain and Union Station hotels and held various positions in the hospitality industry, including those in Food & Beverage, Catering, Sales and Convention Services, for Hyatt Hotels, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Grand Heritage Hotels, Omni Hotels, Adams Mark Hotels and ITT Sheraton.

Lipa earned an associate degree in Hospitality Operations and a B.S. in Hospitality Sales, Marketing and Meeting Management from Johnson and Wales University (Providence, R.I.). He served with the United States Marine Corps from 1985 to 1993, including in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Sony Jacob joined PSAV in 2010 as VP of information technology and was named SVP in June of 2011. Jacob currently leads a staff responsible for all information technology services, including high-speed Internet access operations for PSAV hotel partners.

His background is in technology leadership with an emphasis on business transformation and implementation of enterprise ERP and CRM systems. He has held technology leadership roles in various sectors, including construction, healthcare and distribution. Jacob has a B.S. in engineering and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.