Team
James Lebihan
Chief Executive Officer
James Lebihan, an engineer with three decades of experience at companies such as Intel, Boeing, and Dell, shifted his focus to the music industry when he founded Mission Engineering in 2009. Identifying a trend in digital modeling, he acquired Stagecraft to develop FRFR cabinets. Under Lebihan's guidance, Mission became a reputable brand for musicians and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), with its gear featured globally.
In addition to his work with Mission, Lebihan founded SoundSpeed.io to explore technological advancements, collaborating with companies like Tesla and various medical startups. He also expressed an interest in the analog world of tubes and pedals.
James’ interest in Sunn amps culminated in an opportunity when a team of industry experts and enthusiasts, came together and earned approval from Fender to revive the brand. James’ company, with a production facility in California, became the ideal location to reintroduce the Sunn brand.
Leveraging his experience in product development and performance, along with the factory's capabilities, James and the team aim to restore Sunn in a historically accurate manner while adapting it to meet the demands of modern musicians.
Steve Skillings
Chief Product Officer
Steve's multifaceted career in the music industry showcases him as a true innovator. Spending time in automotive sound engineering at BOSE, Steve's passion for music related gear began to shine. After being awestruck by a demo of a cutting-edge sound system, he joined the project that led to the rollout of the Bose L1 portable line array speaker. This pivot would pave the way for further innovation, including Steve inventing JamHub Silent Rehearsal Studio and the BandLab platform in 2012, where Steve's product roadmap helped lead the user base to around 60 million musicians worldwide.
In 2020, Steve's creative endeavors took a new turn with the co-founding of BusyBox Smart Signs. This venture, alongside his portfolio of music instrument inventions like HexHider magnetic wrenches, the AmperStand guitar rest, CableCup holders and more, underscore his inventive spirit. With over a dozen patents to his name, Steve's unique blend of technological savvy and musical insight has continued to bring novel solutions to musicians.
Steve's leadership and credibility was a driving force behind assembling the Sunn team and unlocking the brand from Fender. In his role as Sunn's "Tour Manager," his versatile skills and perspectives covers many aspects of the business. As a self-proclaimed “builder,” Steve's passion isn't just limited to creating great products, it extends to building an exceptional company. His personality infuses the Sunn team with a vibrant energy and focus, reinforcing a balance of business and innovation, leading the “built-to-last” mantra within the company.
Fess Semenikhin
Chief Technology Officer
Fess's impact in the music industry began in 2012 at BandLab, where his talent, leadership, and work ethic led to a fast rise to the position of CTO. Together with the BandLab’s founder Steve Skillings, he transformed ideas into reality, creating the innovative software platform. The foundational structure and principles laid down by Fess and his colleagues at BandLab continue to serve over 60 million musicians worldwide.
Moving on from his contributions at BandLab, Fess founded his own company, BlackBricks, and has been involved in projects ranging from app development to world-class DSP crafting. His collaboration with Sunn brings a blend of traditional and modern expertise, ensuring that Sunn continues to create products that innovate and inspire. Fess's unique combination of technical skill and leadership makes him as a vital asset to Sunn's present and future success.
Craig Peterson
VP of Sales & Marketing
Craig's path in the music industry started where most great ones do, on the sales floor of a music store, learning what musicians actually want and need. Those early years in store management and training laid a foundation that carried him to Fishman Acoustic Amplification, where he worked his way through multiple roles supporting independent dealers, e-commerce accounts, and domestic distributors before stepping into international distribution and sales management, representing the brand at trade shows across the globe.
From there, Craig took on a consulting role with Martin Guitar, supporting management and training initiatives before bringing that breadth of experience closer to home as General Manager of Manchester Music Mill in New Hampshire. Over nearly a decade, he turned a lean owner-dependent shop into a structured, growing business. That kind of result only comes from someone who genuinely understands both the business side of music and the people who make it. Across a career spanning multiple roles and companies, Craig has earned recognition through a number of leadership and achievement awards along the way.
In 2025, Craig joined Sunn as VP of Sales and Marketing. Working closely with the team, he has helped shape the overall direction of Sunn's marketing and played a key role in how the Sunn Mini was introduced to the world, helping to craft the vision behind the campaign and bring it in front of the musicians it was made for. At his core Craig is a musician's advocate, someone who knows the community from the inside and is focused on making sure Sunn's story reaches the players who need to hear it.