From a very young age, Lina María Villa Betancourt’s life has been shaped by sound. Not only as a technical phenomenon, but as emotion, language, and experience. 

Today, as Regional Sales Engineer at Bose Professional, her career is the result of an uncommon combination: strong engineering skills, musical sensitivity, a passion for teaching, and a deeply human perspective on audiovisual technology.

Her First Connection with Audio

Lina’s relationship with the audiovisual world began long before she chose a university degree.

“From a very young age, I was passionate about music and wanted to dedicate my career to audio engineering,” she recalls. That early interest led her to study electronic engineering, but it was during her master’s degree in Sound and Music Technologies at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona that everything truly fell into place. 

“There, I had my first contact with psychoacoustic analysis and understood the enormous impact that good audio design has on perception and emotions,” she explains. That discovery marked a point of no return. When she returned to Colombia, Lina already knew that her professional path would be completely linked to sound and audiovisual technologies. 

Behind that decision, there was also a very strong family influence. Her brother, Mono Villa, played a key role in her early approach to the musical universe.

“From a very young age, I would accompany him to his concerts and rehearsals, and thanks to him, I discovered not only sound, but also the emotion and language behind music,” she says. Later, when she understood the physics behind that language, everything made sense: “He opened the door, and science showed me the way.” 

Challenges, Projects, and Continuous Learning 

As in many technical careers, Lina’s professional growth has been shaped by major challenges. One of the most important was her time at Convergint, where she managed complex projects for Colombia and Central America, coordinating global teams and multiple stakeholders under very demanding deadlines. 

“I overcame it through clear methodologies, transparent communication, and rigorous planning,” she says. That period strengthened not only her technical capabilities, but also her operational leadership and ability to solve problems in high-pressure contexts. 

However, one of the projects she is most proud of has a clearly human component. During her time at Sound United, Lina led the training and technical support strategy for Latin America, creating in-person content, webinars, and, above all, a regional community around audio learning. 

“Seeing how distributors and end users improved their knowledge and their relationship with the brand thanks to this content is something I value deeply,” she notes. It is worth mentioning that, during that period, Lina earned her AVIXA CTS certification. 

Among the skills she considers key to her growth, Lina highlights her ability to translate complex technical concepts clearly, the combination of engineering, acoustic analysis, and field experience, her adaptability to multicultural environments, and a strong vocation for service that has guided her work in training and technical support. 

Woman, Leadership, and Confidence

For her, the growth of female presence in the industry is clear and encouraging, especially thanks to the work of organizations such as AVIXA. “My experience has taught me to trust my judgment and assert my knowledge and experience, regardless of my gender or nationality,” she says. 

To young women who want to enter the AV sector, her message is clear and direct: “Do not doubt your talent and never feel less than anyone else.”

Studying, asking questions, training, experimenting, and building support networks are, for Lina, fundamental pillars. “This industry needs diverse voices,” she emphasizes. 

And if her journey had to be summed up in a single phrase, Lina expresses: “When something is your passion, the path becomes natural.”