Synamedia hires ‘digital TV software pioneer’ Thexton as CTO

Nick Thexton, the industry technology veteran who most recently served as Group CTO of ProSiebenSat.1, has joined Synamedia as its chief technology officer.

Described by the vendor as a ‘digital TV software pioneer’, Thexton will be responsible for leading Synamedia’s technology innovation and investment. He will also be tasked with leading the development and delivery of new system solutions, and in particular be in charge of the company’s video platform engineering, product management, architecture and marketing.

In addition to the role at the German broadcaster, Thexton has had a storied career as chief digital and product officer at Immarsat and as CTO at YouView. He also spent eight years at NDS – the precursor to Synamedia – and also held a variety of positions at Cisco following its acquisition of NDS.

Thexton said: “Having spent years in R&D shaping many of the technologies that make up Synamedia’s portfolio, I have a deep affinity for the offerings and organization.  My immediate focus will be an injection of ideas to support operators as they transition to IP broadcasting and develop new business opportunities. New initiatives will help video service providers win more eyeballs and build revenues in the IP era.”

Yves Padrines, Synamedia CEO, said: “There are few individuals in this industry with Nick’s technical prowess and pedigree. With his passion for innovation, Nick will instill new levels of creativity into our R&D activity to keep our customers one step ahead in a competitive sector. With Nick at the helm, our reputation for impactful industry-defining innovation will continue undimmed.”

This appointment sees former CTO Alok Gera move to the role of senior vice president and general manager of Synamedia’s North American business. In this position, Gera will lead Synamedia’s customer-facing organisation and activities in the region.