Linius Technologies Limited – the only cloud-based solution that transforms static video into hyper-personalized video experiences with its world-first Video Virtualization Engine™ (VVE) – is thrilled to announce the appointment of both a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

James Brennan is a highly regarded product and go-to-market strategist and joins Linius as CEO at a time where the Company has commercialisation opportunities across multiple sectors for its unique industry-leading VVE technology. He has also been appointed to the Linius Board as an Executive Director, working out of Linius ’ Melbourne headquarters.

Clive Malcher is a widely acclaimed technologist with video expertise and has been appointed as CTO to oversee that technology requirement as the Company enters this commercialisation phase. The appointments will help guide the acceleration of revenues derived from the Company’s existing suite of products across its core segments of Education, Sports, and Business.

New Linius CEO James Brennan has a successful record of driving sales strategies of software-related businesses and has 20 years’ management experience, gained in roles held across Asia, North America, and Europe. Over this time, James Brennan has built a reputation for leading global technology adoption, driving sales and go-to-market strategies for enterprise software and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) businesses. His sales, product management, and marketing leadership skills have been honed in senior management roles held in a number of highly regarded organisations including Kaltura, BlueJeans Network, and Polycom.

Most recently, James Brennan was Head of Product at software services company Integrated Research Limited (ASX:IRI). While in this position he led the ambitious launch of three major products last year, which quickly gained market traction. As a group, they were adopted by over 200,000 users in the first quarter of Integrated Research’s 2022 financial year. During his time as Managing Director, Asia Pacific (APAC) at BlueJeans, he headed a successful growth strategy that saw the region nearly double its annual recurring revenue in less than two years. In recognition of this achievement, he was subsequently awarded the APAC Cloud Video Service Provider of the Year by analyst Frost & Sullivan. James’ appointment comes as Linius is poised for growth following significant investment in its SaaS products (LVS and Whizzard). This investment is now starting to pay dividends, with some key clients already onboarded in the target Education and Sports market segments, including the University of Newcastle, Racing.com, and English Premier League soccer club Wolverhampton – and more are in the pipeline.

James’ vast sales experience and efficacious leadership will be vital as the Company focuses on revenue growth, delivering exceptional customer engagement and customer success, and raising its profile with enterprise buyers across the Education, Sports, and Business sectors. These skills will be particularly valuable as Linius strives to generate a meaningful revenue stream from its existing key partners, including AWS with the ISV accelerate the program, and Zoom. The material terms of James’ employment agreement are detailed in the annexure.

New Linius CTO possesses both tech and commercial experience Clive Malcher, Linius’ new CTO, has accumulated more than 20 years’ experience working with a number of major media organisations in senior roles encompassing technology (video technology included), product, strategy, and commercial functions.

Over this time, he has developed an intimate knowledge of hands-on video tech, spread across various different technologies and AI/ML. All this while also developing the commercial skillset needed to successfully get customers signed up for the tech offerings he has helped create.

Throughout his career, Clive has been at the cutting edge of the media tech market segment. He helped draw the roadmaps that guided the construction of some of the earliest digital transformations/platforms in broadcasting for video-on-demand/over-the-top internet content and publishing for E-books/E-readers.

Clive’s career resume includes technology leadership roles at media companies, such as ITV, Channel 5, HarperCollins, and Piksel. In these roles, he often managed large multi-disciplinary teams and gained exposure to all three of the core Sports, Education, and Business market segments now being targeted by Linius. He launched the first over-the-top service for ITV in 2005 and led product and strategy there. After a stint in digital publishing at HarperCollins, Clive moved back into video with a contract at ITV and a leadership role at Channel 5.

In a subsequent role at Piksel, Clive worked as a technologist that facilitated discussion at that company’s corporate level and extended the tech function outwards. Most recently, Clive used his well-developed video tech skills, building a streaming platform for Into Film, a British Film Institute backed company that provides film/moving image education for schools.

As part of these changes, Outgoing CEO, Chris Richardson, will remain on the board of Linius Technologies and will focus on Linius’ blockchain start-up, and Linius Chairman, Gerard Bongiorno will transition from Executive to NonExecutive Chairman.

Linius Chairman Gerard Bongiorno said,

“We are thrilled to welcome James and Clive to the Linius senior executive team. Both are high calibre leaders whose reputations precede them. The detailed knowledge James possesses of education and corporate customers, streaming media technology, and international markets will be a real asset. His experience will be instrumental as Linius continues to ramp up its commercialization and expansion strategies, a process going hand-in-hand with a broadening and deepening the Company’s product range. James’ analytical thinking plus his proven ability to successfully launch new products and grow recurring revenues in businesses will be a real boon for our commercialisation endeavours, giving impetus to our efforts to materially grow the number of clients both here and overseas using our ‘video on the fly’ products.

“Clive joining the Linius team as our new CTO represents another significant boost to our human capital base. His past experience at the cutting edge of media tech gives us a serious leg up as we grow Linius’ presence in our three target segments of Sport, Education and Business. We fully intend leveraging off Clive’s reputation for introducing revolutionary digital products to multiple categories within the broader video industry. What particularly attracted us to Clive was the fact he offers more than just hands-on tech experience across many different technologies and AI/ML. He also possesses commercial savvy, and has always looked at new products from a voice-of-the-customer perspective. We expect him to make an invaluable contribution to ongoing moves by Linius to bring to market revolutionary digital products to the video market segment and then successfully market them to potential clients.

“We welcome both James and Clive to the Linius team. I would also like to thank our outgoing CEO, Chris Richardson, for his six years at the helm, during which time the Company successfully proved the technology and evolved its product range to set in train the commercialisation strategy that’s now gaining traction.”

Commenting on his new role, Linius CEO James Brennan said,

“I welcome this opportunity to play a key role in the delivery of commercial sustainability to a disruptive business with such fantastic growth potential. I am excited by both the product offerings Linius already has in the market and those in the pipeline. As a passionate product and goto-market strategist, I love understanding and solving high value customer and market problems. I look forward to developing and executing a clear purpose and focused product vision that adds value to the Linius brand.

It is going to be amazing working with the highly motivated Linius team to build a customer focused ethos and further advancing their clearly evident ‘can do’ culture. I am also eagerly awaiting the opportunity to meet Linius shareholders and the Company’s other stakeholders. It is the perfect time to be joining Linius as it scales customer adoption and elevates the educational, informational, and entertainment value of the world’s video, in the process realising the inherent value in Linius’ ‘video on the fly’ products.”

Commenting on his new role, Linius CTO Clive Malcher said,

“Linius presents me with some exciting challenges as I enter a new chapter of my career. I have always enjoyed working at the cutting edge of the media tech market segment and my new role at Linius allows me to do exactly that. I look forward to being part of a team introducing revolutionary digital products to the sports, education and business segments of the video industry. But what also excites me is the current commercialisation of Linius’ product range. It provides me with another opportunity to trail-blaze new products that give viewers what they want in an easy-to-understand and cost-effective way.”

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