Atomos has appointed Blackmagic Design co-founder Peter Barber as executive director and chief operating officer, effective immediately.
Barber brings 35 years of corporate and video production experience to the company, having worked in TV commercial production at AAV’s Bank Street South Melbourne studios, as well as in Singapore, before joining Apple to lead the roll-out of its Final Cut Pro video editing solution and other professional video products across the Asia Pacific.
In 2001, Barber co-founded Blackmagic Design, going on to occupy multiple positions within the video technology and software business, including president of post-production and creative services and global product marketing manager.
He also led the acquisition of seven businesses to significantly grow the company’s product portfolio.
Barber left Blackmagic as an executive in 2017 to spend more time with family and pursue other business interests in Singapore but has remained in close contact with key industry partners and upcoming players.
He said was excited to not only join the board of directors of Atomos but also lead the execution of “comprehensive turnaround initiatives” that would bring value to industry stakeholders and company shareholders.
“[Co-founder]Jeromy Young, [chairman] Paul Greenberg and I have been in discussions for some time about introducing exciting new products to the creative video industry, and more recently the opportunity to join Atomos to implement these plans,” he said.
“Having known Jeromy for almost 20 years, including working together at Blackmagic, we have a very similar view of the video industry and the direction it is headed. Creative professionals work in a demanding, fast-paced industry, so they need quality, reliable products and workflows that provide the base for efficient production that helps them grow their client base and revenue.
“I am fortunate to have worked in both the creative services world as well as being in sales and a solution provider, giving me a strong connection to our customers’ needs and expectations. Throughout much of my working life, I have been designing video workflows, and sharing democratizing tools that empower creatives, something that resonates strongly with a company like Atomos.”
Atomos chairman Paul Greenberg said Barber would provide “valuable insights and expertise” as the company ramped up its turnaround plan to “fully harness Atomos’ industry-leading technology and product suite”.
“We are thrilled to have Peter join our Board and executive team. Peter is an industry veteran known globally as a highly experienced and successful video technology entrepreneur with over thirty years of experience across all areas of the video production ecosystem,” he said.
Co-founder Jeromy Young, who returned to the business as managing director and CEO at the start of this year, described Barber as a “true global leader”.
“Peter and I are two sides of a coin, equally important and extremely complementary,” he said.
“I very much look forward to working with Peter to return Atomos to a leadership technology position in the video production industry in both product innovation and customer service, and creating shareholder value.”