NEWBURY, UK — Snell Advanced Media (SAM), a provider of integrated media production solutions, has appointed former Tandberg Television president Eric Cooney as president and chief executive officer. Cooney has over 20 years of experience in the technology, media and telecommunications industry.
The appointment will see Tim Thorsteinson step down as CEO after two years for personal reasons which, in the near to medium term, limit his ability to travel. Thorsteinson led the turnaround of SAM based on a clear new product development strategy combined with strengthening the presence of the sales teams in core markets. He successfully led the rebranding of the group as Snell Advanced Media (SAM) and will continue to be involved in an advisory capacity to the board. He will also remain as a shareholder in SAM.
Cooney was CEO of Tandberg Television, leading its merger with Ericsson Group in 2007 and subsequently resigned to accept the CEO role at IT services provider Internap Corp. During his tenure at both businesses he delivered significant increases in value after transforming the strategy, investing in new products, sales and world-class customer support.
In his role as CEO of SAM, Cooney will continue to drive the growth and development of the group across its core markets and build upon the significant sales growth the business has achieved in the last two years as a result of significant investment in new products.
SAM employs almost 600 people across offices in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The group, which recently reported 20 per cent year-on-year growth, is backed by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group.