“Austin’s return to HPMC in a new leadership role embodies the essence of our story,” said Vincent Velasquez, CEO of HPMC. “We built something special together, Austin ventured out to grow his career. We continued to build and grow, too. Reuniting marks the start of an exciting new chapter for our company.”

Over the years, King kept in touch with HPMC founders Strato Doumanis and Velasquez, and said he felt like the door was always open for him to come back to the team.

“The timing seems right for all of us to jump into this partnership again,” said King. “HPMC already has this footprint in the Carolinas, and with me being here and having my own established network, I think that this is a great opportunity to move [the business] forward.”

King sees major potential for HPMC’s smart, service-oriented model to resonate with businesses across the Carolinas. 

“Clients want partners, not vendors,” said King. “That is where Vincent and Strato and this whole team excels.”

With his background in both creative production and strategic sales, King is uniquely equipped to bridge the gap between storytelling and business development.

“I spent the last decade building narratives that move people to act,” he said. “That directly translates to sales and partnerships. I think it’s a huge advantage to have a creative background.”

In his new role, King aims to identify underserved needs and scalable growth opportunities in the Carolinas, particularly in sectors like higher ed, healthcare, and regional live events, so HPMC can replicate and expand on the success it has achieved in New Jersey and the Northeast. He’s eager to hit the ground running and make a meaningful impact.

“I want to position HPMC as a high-value partner, not just a service provider,” he said. “I’m really excited to bring everything that they’ve built up to this point into the Carolinas and … be an asset to the community here.”