Grass Valley has appointed Tim Thorsteinson (pictured) as president and CEO, effective immediately. Ideally suited to lead Grass Valley through the next phase of its evolution, Thorsteinson has held numerous senior roles in the broadcast technology industry, including his first stint as the president and CEO of Grass Valley in 1996, president of the Broadcast Communications division of Harris Corp., and president and CEO of Leitch. Most recently he was president and CEO of Enablence Technologies Inc.
Having led the successful acquisition and carve out of Grass Valley from Technicolor two years ago, Alain Andreoli has stepped down and will leave the business at the end of January.
“We are pleased to have Tim Thorsteinson join Grass Valley at this pivotal point in the company’s transformation. Tim’s in-depth industry knowledge and his proven track record of value creation will ensure Grass Valley’s continued success as an independent leader in the rapidly evolving broadcast infrastructure market”, said David Golob, partner at Francisco Partners and Chairman of the Board of Grass Valley. “I would also like to thank Alain for all of his contributions in helping to re-establish Grass Valley as an independent company”.
“Grass Valley is uniquely positioned to help lead the broadcast industry into the multi-platform era and I am excited to be joining the team. I know first hand of the rich history of technical innovation that our customers around the world have come to expect from Grass Valley and I intend to continue that tradition through our powerful product portfolio and best in class solutions,” said Thorsteinson.
Meanwhile, at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Lieven Vermaele (pictured) is to step down as director of Technology & Innovation after six years of service.
Vermaele will leave his post in summer 2013 and return to his hometown Ghent, in Belgium, to be CEO of CandIT-Media, a fast growing technology start-up that was by origin a spin-off of the University of Ghent, IBBT/I minds and Flemish Public Service Broadcaster VRT.
“Moving on from this unique job carries an element of regret,” said Vermaele. “I could continue in this role, which would continue to bring great fulfillment for many years. However it’s my personal belief that there is immense value in recruiting new minds with fresh ideas.”
He continued, “I am extremely proud of the people and talent within my department and across the EBU. I firmly believe in the organisation and public service media, and am proud of the success and recognition that we have achieved over the years.”
“This next phase of my career offers an opportunity to provide a solution to one of the key issues facing many organisations: high throughput and large file transport, combined with the mission critical services aspect and requirements like guaranteed performance, QoS, efficiency, scalability and reliability.”
EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre applauded Vermaele’s contribution to the EBU Membership and the media industry as a whole.
“With European broadcasters facing a challenging period of technological transition, Lieven has ensured that EBU Members have had access to optimal technical frameworks. Under his direction EBU Technology & Innovation has sharpened its focus on increasing Member cost effectiveness and enhancing the media consumer’s experience.”
Deltenre said that Vermaele had set a high benchmark, but that she was confident the process of replacing him could be achieved smoothly.
She added: “We expect a strong field of candidates to come forward for the position, which will be advertised immediately. A replacement will be announced within the next few months.”
In addition to his primary role, Vermaele chairs DigiTAG, a cross-industry organisation that encourages and facilitates the implementation of digital terrestrial television services and the promotion of spectrum needs for these services.
He also chairs the ETSI/EBU/CENELEC Joint Technical Committee, which is responsible for setting European standards for media and broadcasting systems (WorldDMB, DVB, HbbTV). Mr Vermaele is also on the council of the IBC, the Europe’s largest media industry event.
