OTT.X today announced that Mark Fisher, the trade association's President and CEO, has decided to retire effective May 31, 2023. Fisher will step down from the President role immediately and will retain his CEO position for the next few months to support an orderly transition. Effective immediately, Eric Hanson will serve as Interim President.
STUDIO CITY, Calif., Jan. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- OTT.X today announced that Mark Fisher, the trade association's President and CEO, has decided to retire effective May 31, 2023. Fisher will step down from the President role immediately and will retain his CEO position for the next few months to support an orderly transition. Effective immediately, Eric Hanson will serve as Interim President.
Fisher has served in his current role since October 2012, and prior to that, served for four years as EVP, where he oversaw the Association's growth and strategic direction.
During Fisher's tenure as President and CEO he led the company's evolution from a trade association supporting the physical video rental and DVD sales business into the digital age, first supporting transactional and subscription business models and then later supporting all forms of online video distribution including AVOD and FAST, eventually rebranding itself from EMA (the Entertainment Merchants Association) into OTT.X. Fisher also led the development of the current OTT.X cornerstone events – The OTT.X Summit and the X-FRONTS, as well as its salons, its roundtables, its online webinars and ONLINE LIVE and THE BUZZ, and has been a champion of the industry's DEI initiatives.
"I'm proud of the accomplishments that we've made as we've evolved in an evolving industry that has become more and more egalitarian, global and diverse," said Mark Fisher. "It's been great working with this outstanding staff and the most engaged and supportive Board members that a CEO could ask for. The association is on a great trajectory for its future and I'm confident that it'll grow to serve its members in many more ways than its currently able."
"Mark's integrity, insights and courage have put OTT.X on an exciting trajectory for the future supporting the expanding OTT industry. He's been an inspired leader and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him over these many years," said Eric Hanson, currently serving as Interim President after three years as the Association's EVP.
"Over the years, Mark's family and mine have become close friends, and I congratulate him on his decision. In some ways, OTT.X and Mark are synonymous, yet, I know the organization will continue to thrive, through the strength of its dedicated staff and the engaged member base," added Cameron Douglas, Chair of the OTT.X Board of Directors and SVP, OTT/Streaming at Fandango.
Fisher was hired by OTT.X (then named the Video Software Dealers Association) in 1999 as its Vice-President of Membership. Prior to being employed by OTT.X, Fisher served on its Board's Executive Committee as Treasurer and as Vice-President of its local chapter in New England. Fisher had been a longstanding member of the Association since 1985 while he was employed by member companies, first as the Director of Video Rental and Sales and the Director of New Ventures for the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, and later as the SVP of Operations for the public video rental chain West Coast Entertainment.
After attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and later the State University of New York at Albany, Fisher started his working career as the youngest store manager at the time in the A&P Tea Company grocery chain. He joined Stop & Shop as a store manager in 1980 and from 1983-1985 served as general merchandise supervisor for the chain's Connecticut division. In 1985, Fisher was given the opportunity that changed his career path – he was selected to develop and run the chain's video rental stores, engaging him in what became the home video and now streaming video industry. Under Fisher's leadership, the Stop & Shop Video Store chain was recognized as the VSDA Retailer of the Year in 1995.
Fisher will remain involved with OTT.X, consulting at least through the end of the year, and serving long-term as CEO Emeritus and a non-voting member on the OTT.X Board of Directors.
Media Contact
Jose Rodriguez, OTT.X, 1 8184510998, [email protected], www.ottx.org
SOURCE OTT.X
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