PRESS RELEASE
Auckland, NZ, Los Angeles, Ca. June 14, 2016 – Vista Group International Limited (VGL), the world leading company providing software solutions to the global film industry, announced today the appointment of Derek Forbes to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mr Forbes, currently President, Vista Entertainment Solutions USA, (VES USA), will continue to be based in Los Angeles.
Leon Newnham, currently VP, Operations, VES USA will take over from Mr Forbes as President. The announcement was made today by Murray Holdaway, Vista Group Chief Executive.
“Derek has been with Vista for over 15 years and brings a huge amount of film industry knowledge to his new role”, said Mr Holdaway. “With Vista Group companies Vista Entertainment Solutions and Movio going from strength-to-strength in the USA and new Group companies MACCS, Powster and Share Dimension entering the American market, we believe a senior Vista Group position in the US is needed. Derek’s background and experience makes him an obvious choice for that role.”
The Chief Executives of Vista Group companies VES, Movio, MACCS, Share Dimension, Numero, Powster and Flicks will continue to report to Group Chief Executive, Murray Holdaway. Mr Forbes will be tasked with growing Vista Group’s participation and visibility in the industry, including extending the company’s relationships with US-based movie organizations beyond VES – the long-time global leader in cinema management software for the exhibition sector. In addition, Mr Forbes will communicate and demonstrate the wider capabilities of the Vista Group of companies to the broader film sector and assist to bring new VGL companies and products to the US market and beyond.
“I’m excited to begin this new role with Vista Group. We have invested in a number of leading film tech companies, and there is an opportunity for us to work more closely with each company to maximize the synergies we can offer with the Group’s resources and market reach. I have been with Vista for many years as we have grown and evolved to our current market leading position. It’s an honor and a privilege to continue working with Murray and the rest of our amazing team as we look forward to the many opportunities still in front of us.”
Derek Forbes, a New Zealander, joined Vista Entertainment Solutions (now Vista Group headquarters in Auckland, NZ), as a software developer in 2000 when the company was a team of just five. Whilst he enjoyed the challenge of software development, he was drawn to working more directly with customers and transitioned to software implementation and product management. As VES expanded, he was soon working on cinema projects in locations as exotic and varied as Mumbai and Caracas. Mr Forbes moved to London in 2005 where he established and managed Vista’s London UK office. Under his leadership, Vista expanded into new European territories, and the Vista UK team grew to seven (now 40).
In 2009 after a brief return to New Zealand, he moved to Los Angeles to establish and lead Vista USA.
In the years since, Vista has grown to achieve a leading share of the cinema management software market in North America, with 70 employees across offices in Los Angeles and Dallas. Mr Forbes holds Bachelor of Commerce (Management Science & Information Systems) and Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) degrees from the University of Auckland.
VGL is a world leading company comprising seven businesses all providing film software solutions to the global film industry. Building on the world leading position of VES in the cinema exhibition sector, VGL is expanding to offer solutions to other sectors of the industry.
The cross-border global nature of the business of movies as well as the multi-territory capability of VES software, has resulted in Vista software installations in more than 70 countries. 18 of the world’s 30 largest cinema chains use VGL software.
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