Stardust Global Ventures

Our good friend Peter Csathy has a new gig and we’re really excited for him. Peter’s been the CEO of SightSpeed, recently purchased by Logitech.

Peter’s now the President & CEO of Sorenson Media. He say’s they’re “the best in class innovators in video compression and encoding solutions.” In a note yesterday Peter told us “I, together with my outstanding team at Sorenson Media, have big plans for the company — big plans that are “coming soon” … “

Peter’s one of the nicest gentlemen we know. He’s a good friend and a real leader in business, proven by his track record. And the neatest part? His closing words – … this will be fun …

Sorenson Media Names Digital Media Veteran Peter Csathy as President and CEO
Former SightSpeed and Musicmatch Executive Plans to Extend Sorenson Media’s Industry Leadership in Video Compression and Online Media Solutions Marketplace

SALT LAKE CITY (Mar. 2, 2009) – Sorenson Media today announced that Peter Csathy has joined the company as president and chief executive officer (CEO). Csathy comes to Sorenson Media with more than 20 years of diverse, successful experience in all facets of the digital media industry, including significant expertise in the online video arena. Csathy will direct all areas of the company’s operations and strategic initiatives.

“I am honored and excited to join this dynamic company in a time of such rich opportunity,” said Csathy. “Sorenson Media is already the world leader in online video compression and encoding technology and solutions, and I am convinced the company is entering a period of sustained growth, innovation and market leadership. I look forward to driving the company’s video expertise and strategic direction into new high growth areas. Internet video is still in its early innings, and we see an opportunity to become a significant player in this multi-billion dollar and transformative industry.”

“We are absolutely delighted that Peter has decided to lead Sorenson Media’s aggressive expansion and evolution,” said James Lee Sorenson, founder and chairman of Sorenson Media. “He is a seasoned veteran with great vision and an impeccable track record for orchestrating growth, even while navigating troubled waters such as the current economic crisis. I have no doubt that Peter’s vision and direction will enable us to extend our global leadership in video compression and encoding, and to lead out in other transformative directions in the digital media industry.”

Csathy’s expertise encompasses all major facets of managerial leadership – from high-level business development and negotiations to organizational development, strategy, product marketing, finance, legal, human resources and team-building – for companies ranging from entrepreneurial ventures to multi-national Fortune 500 organizations.

Csathy worked at C-level roles at three successful high-growth companies, including most recently as CEO of SightSpeed, president and chief operating officer (COO) of Musicmatch, and COO of eNow. All of these companies achieved successful exits: SightSpeed was acquired by Logitech late in 2008, in the midst of the current economic meltdown; Musicmatch was acquired by Yahoo in 2004; and eNow was acquired by AOL-Time Warner in 2006.

Prior to these positions, Csathy served as senior VP at Universal Studios, with responsibility for driving and executing all national and global new business opportunities, M&A activity, strategic partnerships and initiatives for that company’s Recreation Group. During his tenure, the company doubled annual revenues to more than $2 billion.

He has also worked as a senior executive at Savoy Pictures Entertainment and New Line Cinema, after launching his career as a media and intellectual property attorney for clients in the motion picture and music industries. Csathy obtained his JD from Harvard University and his bachelor’s degree in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota.

In addition to these executive leadership roles, Csathy has served as a board member for numerous public, private and non-profit organizations.

About Sorenson Media
Sorenson Media (www.sorensonmedia.com), the global leader for encoding and compression applications, provides hardware and software solutions that enable users to easily and affordably compress, manage and deliver high-quality video over the Internet and to CDs, DVDs, mobile devices and other formats. The company also creates innovative Web applications for publishing, editing and managing professional and user-generated video content, and for the development of customizable media sharing sites. From its inception in 1995, Sorenson Media has been at the forefront of leading trends offering award-winning technology and products that dramatically improve the Internet experience for developers and users alike.

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