We’d seen solid rumors that Mike Volpi was going to be the new CEO of Joost to replace the founding CEO, Fredrik de Wahl.
Joost has now confirmed it with a press release (shown below). Volpi left his successful position at Cisco earlier this year in search for something new and is now the 40 year old has become the new CEO of Joost.
Giga OM has an interview with the Volpi about his move to Joost.
Press Release:
JOOST™ APPOINTS NEW CEO
Silicon Valley veteran Mike Volpi to succeed founding CEO Fredrik de Wahl
New York – June 5, 2007 – Joost™, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service, today announced that Mike Volpi has been appointed chief executive officer. Volpi succeeds the company’s founding CEO, Fredrik de Wahl, who remains at Joost as chief strategy officer.
Volpi will assume full operational responsibility for the company effective immediately.
“Mike brings unparalleled leadership and technology expertise that will enable us to accelerate the growth of the company,” said de Wahl. “I am excited to work with Mike, both because he is an exceptional leader and strategist, and because we share a common ambition for Joost.”
Volpi joins Joost from Cisco Systems, Inc., where he spent 13 years in a variety of strategic management roles. Most recently, he managed a US$11 billion business as senior vice president and general manager for Cisco’s Routing and Service Provider Technology Group, which included Scientific Atlanta.
While at Cisco, Volpi also pioneered the company’s M&A process, and acquired more than 70 companies during his tenure.
Volpi stated, “Joost is one of the most exciting companies in the media industry. Fredrik and the Joost team have built a world-class ensemble of talent and created a company and a product with the potential to change the way video is enjoyed around the world. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this team as the company embarks on its next critical stage of development.”
Founded in January 2006 by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, Joost is powered by a secure, efficient Internet platform that enables premium, interactive, advertising-supported video experiences while guaranteeing copyright protection for content owners and creators. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers content to viewers for free.
Friis, executive co-chairman and co-founder of Joost, stated, “Mike’s track record speaks for itself. For Niklas and me, Mike is the dream choice for this role. We’ve known him for many years, as he was a Skype board member. Mike’s leadership abilities in combination with his vision and technological expertise are unsurpassed and will serve as a powerful driving force in the realization of the company’s vision.”
About Joost
Joost provides a new way of watching TV that combines the best of full-screen television entertainment with the interactive and community benefits of the Internet to bring broadcast-quality video to viewers anytime, anywhere. Based on a state-of-the-art, secure, peer-to-peer streaming technology, Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers video content to viewers for free. Joost features more than 150 channels with programming across all genres, including cartoons and animation; entertainment and film; sports; comedy; lifestyle and documentaries; and sci-fi. Channels and shows available on Joost vary by geographic region, based on copyright ownership.
To learn more about Joost, visit www.joost.com.
