Kirkland, Wash. — Paul Allen’s Digeo raided Sony Electronics’ television marketing department for the second time in a month — this time tapping the Sony home products TV marketing division VP, Greg Gudorf, as the company’s new president/COO.
Gudorf, a long-time Sony veteran, joins Mike Fidler, who two weeks earlier had been named Digeo’s new CEO. Fidler, who was Sony’s home products division marketing senior VP, was formerly Gudorf’s boss at Sony.
According to a press statement announcing the move, Gudorf will oversee all company operations on a day-to-day basis, with particular emphasis on product delivery, process improvement and integration with MSO head-end systems.
Bert Kolde, who had been serving as COO, will continue leading the company’s sales and marketing team.
According to a Sony spokesman, no one had been selected to take Gudorf’s marketing position at Sony as this went to press.
“As Digeo continues to grow as a business and expand its customer base, we need a dedicated focus on operations to make sure we don’t miss a beat,” said Fidler. “I have worked with Greg for many years and have seen first-hand his ability to drive superb execution. His unique skill set will enable him to ensure our customers continue to be satisfied with our technology and the business results it provides.”
Prior to being named Sony’s TV marketing VP, Gudorf had served as Sony’s TV-centric representative to cable system operators and as a board member of the Consumer Electronics Association video division.
He was instrumental in launching Sony’s DirecTV and TiVo equipment marketing initiatives in the early days of the those services.
Gudorf was also directly responsible for launching Passage, a key cable industry technology.
“Joining Digeo at this point in its evolution is an exciting step for me, considering the acclaim the Moxi Media Center has achieved and the business benefits it delivers to MSOs,” said Gudorf, in a prepared statement. “My goal is to make sure our operations side mirrors the excellence of our technology and the passion of our people. I’m confident our teamwork will propel Digeo into its next phase of growth as the media center becomes more central to our everyday lives.”
Prior to joining Sony, Gudorf served in key executive roles for Chaparral Communications and General Instrument.
