Business Services Industry

David Zucker to Join Walker Digital; 'Henk' Hanselaar Appointed DIVA's New CEO; Zucker Pursues New Venture After Establishing DIVA As Video-On-Demand Leader

Business Wire, Sept 6, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2000

Telecommunications Technology Executive, 'Henk' Hanselaar,

Named Successor

DIVA(TM), a leading provider of interactive video-on-demand (VOD) products and services, announced today that Chief Executive Officer, David Zucker, is leaving the company to assume a CEO position at Walker Digital. DIVA has selected Hendrik (Henk) A. Hanselaar, an executive with extensive experience in the cable telecommunications industry, international business, and finance, to be the company's new president and CEO. Zucker will continue to serve as a director on DIVA's board and work with Hanselaar in the next few months to transition responsibilities.

"Hanselaar brings a wealth of experience with his international business, cable telecommunications, and financial background, and has been working very closely with DIVA for the past three years," said David Zucker. "I have great confidence that he will continue to expand and solidify DIVA's role as the industry's most successful VOD provider as the company aggressively rolls out VOD with its cable customers."

During his tenure with DIVA, Zucker oversaw the growth of the company's core VOD business. One of his important accomplishments is securing deployment agreements with major cable operators including Charter Communications, Insight Communications, MediaOne (AT&T), and ntl. Additionally, Zucker led the development of DIVA's recently launched Interactive Programming Guide, which provides cable operators with an alternative to other guides. Zucker will join Walker Digital as the chief executive officer of one of the company's new operating units.

"I'm excited to have the opportunity to work for a company that has clear vision and a commitment to developing innovative products and services for the cable industry," said Hanselaar. "I look forward to continuing DIVA's growth as the leader in VOD."

Hanselaar gained experience in the broadband communications industry both as chief executive officer of FUBA Communications Systems GmbH, now a unit of Motorola, and as CEO of TV/COM International, a major provider of digital broadband communications systems. He also brings extensive experience in international banking to DIVA after working fourteen years at Citibank. Most recently, Hanselaar has served as a general partner in Hamilton Management Partners, LLC, a venture capital firm focused on seed and early stage investments for telecommunications, IT and life sciences. He also operated an international strategic planning and business development consulting practice for broadband communication companies, where his clients included DIVA.

About DIVA

DIVA Systems Corporation www.divatv.com is a privately held company founded in June 1995 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California. DIVA commercially launched its digital video-on-demand (VOD) service in cable television systems in the fall of 1997. It is the only company currently deploying an end-to-end video-on-demand service in North America. As a leading provider of interactive VOD products and services for the cable television industry, DIVA provides the hardware, software, back office and integration expertise to enable cable companies to provide their customers with immediate, affordable access to hundreds of viewing choices including feature films, children's programming and specialty shows, via their remote control. DIVA has also recently introduced an interactive program guide (IPG) as a stand-alone product that allows television viewers to search and access viewing choices in real-time.

DIVA's interactive video-on-demand products and services are now deployed in six cable systems in the U.S. with multiple system operators including Charter Communications, Insight Communications and MediaOne (AT&T). DIVA has also established relationships with leading industry participants, including content providers such as Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Universal, Disney, and Artisan; and billing system providers; and has strategic investments from General Instrument, OpenTV, Liberate, StarzEncore, and ntl.

COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

 

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