Wowza, a Denver-based worldwide leader in live and on-demand streaming adds another industry veteran to its ranks with Chris Drake. As Chief Revenue Officer, Drake will lead Wowza’s global direct and channel sales efforts at a critical time for the company as they continue to extend their platform’s video-on-demand (VOD) capabilities.
Drake arrives at Wowza from Quickplay, where he drove market adoption of its OTT streaming platform tuned for some of the world’s largest enterprise media and entertainment video deployments. While at Quickplay, Drake was named a Top Leader in Technology by Parks Associates and he helped the firm earn the distinction of being named a Google Media Industry Partner of the Year for two consecutive years.
Drake brings his intimate understanding of content distributors, including media publishers and broadcasters, to bear as Wowza makes a massive push to enhance and promote their VOD capabilities. These new features include a more accessible pricing model, ad-insertion, and more for current and new customers looking to grow and monetize their audiences.
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“Chris Drake and Wowza are cut from the same cloth,” says Dave Stubenvoll, CEO and co-founder of Wowza. “Both have histories of being ahead of the curve and customer centric. That’s what makes him such a good fit. As a team, we can capitalize on this innovative spirit and deliver to customers something truly unique.”
Prior to Quickplay, Drake served as Global Vice President, Media and Entertainment for Verizon Media Systems where he was responsible for the entirety of the company’s broadcast, media, sports, and operator segments. His 20+ year background in the streaming industry also includes sales leadership positions with Comcast Technology Solutions and Real Networks.
“Customers want more personalized and even interactive experiences from their live and VOD platforms. Those platforms want easier, more reliable, and more cost-effective ways to answer that call,” says Drake. “Wowza is uniquely positioned to help because underneath their efforts to innovate with evolving industry needs is an incredibly solid foundation fueled by long-standing, expansive, and reliable tech.”
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire