Adds John Tanner as Chief Financial Officer and Names Kevin Hell Chief Operating Officer. Digital Media Company Moves to Leverage Leadership Position in Global Convergence Space
SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 1, 2004– DivXNetworks, Inc., the company that created the revolutionary, patent-pending DivX® video compression technology, today announced an expanded executive team to help drive operational maturity and ensure continued market leadership. John Tanner joins the company as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) while Kevin Hell, formerly Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director at DivXNetworks, will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Mr. Tanner and Mr. Hell round out the DivXNetworks executive team along with Jordan Greenhall, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Shahi Ghanem, President; David Richter, General Counsel; and Steve Frison, Executive Vice President of Technology Strategy.
Mr. Tanner comes to DivXNetworks with a wealth of experience related to high technology firms. Most recently, Mr. Tanner was the Chief Financial Officer and President of International Operations at AdForce, Inc., where he was instrumental in growing the firm, both organically and through acquisition, from a 35-person start-up to a publicly traded registrant on NASDAQ, through its ultimate sale for $1.7 billion. Prior to AdForce, he served as a Vice President of NCD, Inc. (NCDI), where he played a key role in the company’s financial turnaround.
“I’m excited to join the great team at DivXNetworks, and I’m eager to help grow the company to its full operational and financial potential,” commented Mr. Tanner. “The DivX story is truly remarkable, and the company appears well poised to leverage its rapid and unique success in the global digital media industry to create lasting and significant value in the marketplace.”
In his new role as COO, Mr. Hell will assume executive authority for product strategy and oversee all functional business units including Engineering, Marketing and Product Management. Mr. Hell has directed marketing and product management efforts since joining the company as Chief Marketing Officer in 2002, leading the introduction of several revenue-generating products and programs and building out the marketing organization. Prior to joining DivXNetworks, Mr. Hell served as Senior Vice President of Product Management at Palm, Inc.’s Solutions Group, and Vice President of Connected Home at Gateway, Inc.
“We’re lucky to have an extraordinarily talented, passionate and dedicated group of employees at DivXNetworks who have worked tirelessly to make the company what it is today,” said Mr. Hell. “Unlimited opportunities exist for DivXNetworks to play a true leadership role in the convergence of consumer technology and entertainment in the coming months and years, and I look forward to working with our team to help guide that development.”
“After more than doubling our headcount in 2004, seeing 20 million DivX Certified devices ship worldwide, and significantly expanding our international presence, our company has reached a unique stage in its development,” said Jordan Greenhall, CEO and founder of DivXNetworks, Inc. “I believe that John and Kevin will serve as essential ingredients in our continued success as we adapt to the challenges and opportunities of the digital media landscape. John is an eminently qualified, intelligent and experienced CFO who brings extremely relevant expertise guiding technology companies through growth periods.
“Kevin has become an integral part of the DivXNetworks executive team, and his leadership skills and expertise will prove even more valuable in his expanded role as he guides our operational maturity moving forward,” Mr. Greenhall continued.
DivXNetworks technology is enabling the ultimate media experience through a variety of technology and product initiatives that span the entire ecosystem of multimedia devices and platforms. DivXNetworks will offer a complete demonstration of the DivX Ecosystem at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. To learn more about the company, visit www.divxnetworks.com.
About DivXNetworks
DivXNetworks is a consumer-focused video technology company positioned at the center of multimedia convergence. The company’s core offering is the DivX ® video codec, among the world’s most popular video compression technologies with over 160 million users worldwide. Often called “the MP3 of video,” the patent-pending DivX video technology offers DVD-quality at 10 times greater compression than MPEG-2 files, enabling full length films to easily fit on a CD or be delivered over broadband connections. DivX video technology powers a range of applications that span the convergence value chain, from a secure IP-based video-on-demand solution to next-generation consumer electronics products and video software applications. DivXNetworks is headquartered in San Diego, California.