Advanced Television

Habiger in at NDS, Peled Executive Chairman

July 25, 2011

By Colin Mann

NDS Group has announced the appointment of Dave Habiger as Chief Executive Officer, and that in his continuing role with the company, Dr. Abe Peled, previously Chairman and CEO, will assume the full time position of Executive Chairman.

Habiger’s career in the media began as a founder of Providence Productions. In 1992 he began working with the founding members of Sonic Solutions, later playing an important role in the company’s IPO in 1994. As President and COO he organised and managed a global software development team, later becoming CEO in 2005.

As CEO of Sonic, he leveraged his 15 year partnership with the Hollywood studios to help move the industry from DVD distribution to Internet delivery of movies and TV shows, establishing a leadership role as one of the largest global providers of premium movies and TV shows via the Web and consumer electronic devices.

He led the company to a successful reinvention of its core business, leading to the sale of Sonic to Rovi Corporation in early 2011

Peled, 65, said that after 16 rewarding years at the helm of NDS, the time had come to start the transition to the leadership that would take NDS forward over the next decade and beyond.

“NDS has a strong and experienced management team, and an unparalleled cadre of talented and dedicated employees with a proven track record in pay-TV; it has been a privilege to work with them to establish NDS as the market leader in this area. Dave brings to NDS experience as a CEO, and a passion and record of accomplishment in the areas of new media and web delivery that will be increasingly important to NDS and its customers over the next decade. I remain committed to the continuing long term success of NDS,” he declared.

He confirmed that as full time Executive Chairman, he would focus on providing strategic, operational, and customer relationship continuity and would support Habiger with this new challenge in every way possible. “This continuity will ensure that our customers who depend on us to continue and invest in technology, deliver new products and systems, and outstanding customer support, can continue to count on NDS to help their business prosper,” he stated.

Dave Habiger said that having spent the last two decades working to help deliver personal and premium content to as many people as possible, he was continuing that journey with the market leader in the delivery of pay-TV worldwide.

“The industry will be going through significant changes over the next few years as it embraces over-the-top broadband delivery to expand customer choice and convenience. I am convinced that NDS is uniquely positioned to offer the technologies and solutions that make content easily accessible to consumers and valuable to service providers. I am honoured to be working with the largest and finest research, development, and delivery teams in the industry and with a management team that has helped define the industry since the early 1990s,” he said.

NDS Board member Bruce Chizen noted in the 16 years Peled had been leading NDS, the company had expanded over twenty five fold and established a clear leadership position in technology, and products for the pay-TV industry worldwide.

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