Liberty Global (NASDAQ:LBTYA) has hired Enrique Rodriguez as executive vice president and chief technology officer, starting in late July. Rodriguez was formerly CEO of TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO).
Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, said: "Enrique is a seasoned executive who will hit the ground running on day one. In today's technology environment, the best CTOs have worked across sectors, platforms and geographies. Enrique has C-level experience as an engineer, software developer and operator. He has managed multi-billion-dollar businesses for companies like AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco and Thomson, and has a long history in digital television as well as the European broadband sector. As head of Microsoft's Connected TV business, he launched IPTV solutions for telecommunication companies around the world, including many of our competitors. More recently, at AT&T, he was responsible for the teams that developed and launched DirecTV's successful OTT service, DirecTV Now. I'm particularly excited to tap into Enrique's knowledge of video products and platforms as we ramp up innovation in our TV business. He's the right leader at the right time for Liberty Global."
Rodriguez will lead Liberty Global's Technology & Innovation (T&I) team of more than 7,500 employees, with an annual operating and capital budget of more than $5 billion. The centralized technology function powers the IT, supply chain, product development, and delivery and network platforms across Liberty's operating companies, working across countries and brands. Liberty Global's standardized approach to its portfolio of software and hardware, which includes the Horizon TV platform and Connect WiFi routers, plays a critical role in optimizing operational efficiency.
Rodriguez said: "This is an exciting time to join Liberty Global. It is one of the few companies in our sector with international scale, a long-term commitment to technology leadership, and a track record of consistent growth and value creation. Mike and his team are first-class operators, and I look forward to accelerating product innovation and building the network capacity that European consumers want and demand."
Baptiest Coopmans, who has served as acting CTO since January, will remain with the company during the transition and will assume the position of senior vice president, operations.
Rodriguez has served as the president and CEO and a member of the board of directors of TiVo since November 2017. Prior to becoming CEO, Rodriguez was executive vice president and CTO of AT&T Entertainment Group. Prior to that, he worked for Sirius XM, Cisco Systems, Microsoft and Thomson/RCA. He holds more than 25 U.S. patents and international derivatives.