Harmonic announced that Larry Kaplan -- the founding CEO of Omneon, the video-production and playout equipment vendor Harmonic acquired in 2010 -- is stepping down from day-to-day operations as of the end of November.
In addition, Harmonic announced that it has hired Lauren Ventura, who previously worked at Cisco Systems, Bain Capital and Boston Consulting Group, as vice president of channels.
Kaplan will continue as an advisor to the company. Harmonic in September 2010 closed its $273 million deal for Omneon, whose customers included Turner Broadcasting System, The Weather Channel and Discovery Communications.
“Though I'm leaving my official capacity with Harmonic, I'm not really going anywhere,” Kaplan wrote in an email to industry contacts. “I'll continue a relationship with the company on an advisory basis, assisting with both customer engagements and on product strategy topics.”
Meanwhile, Ventura spent more than 15 years at Cisco in senior marketing, services, and channel roles, including the head of marketing in Singapore for the Asia-Pacific region. She also was a consultant for Boston Consulting Group and Bain Capital, where she worked on channel programs and marketing strategy for several high-profile clients.
"We're looking forward to seeing Lauren's impact here at Harmonic," Harmonic chief marketing officer Peter Alexander said in a statement. "Our channel program is a vital component of our overall growth strategy, and her background in building channel business programs and her strategic execution both in the United States and abroad are the right ingredients for taking the Harmonic channel business to the next level."
