AAM appoints new CEO

Arts Alliance Media (AAM) has appointed a new CEO.

The world’s leading digital cinema company has announced that Howard Kiedaisch will be stepping down as CEO after nine years in the position, with John Aalbers, former CEO of telecom industry software provider Volubill, becoming CEO effective July 7.

During Kiedaisch’s tenure as CEO of AAM, the company moved from start-up phase to digitising over 4,000 cinema screens under VPF programs worldwide with more still to come. It also developed a digital cinema software business, which currently touches over 20,000 screens worldwide, and built a Network Operations Centre that currently supports over 11,000 screens for exhibitors around the globe.

Kiedaisch will remain on the board of AAM and work closely with John Aalbers over the coming weeks and months as he assumes leadership of AAM for the next phase of development.

John Woodward, chairman of AAM, stated: “I speak for everyone on the AAM Board and in the business when I thank Howard for his extraordinary achievements at AAM over the past nine years. AAM has thrived under Howard’s leadership, and now with this restructuring Howard leaves having expertly positioned the company to continue to be a major player in the expanding world of digital cinema.”

“I am very much looking forward to taking over the reins from Howard and building on the terrific business he and his team have created,” commented Aalbers. “I see tremendous potential in the cinema business that can be unlocked with the exciting technologies that are now becoming available and the fact that AAM will help our customers benefit from these innovations is why I joined the company.”

Kiedaisch said: “I’ve had an amazing time at AAM and have loved working with the team and in the industry but it is time to pass the torch and try something new. AAM has a very bright future ahead as we have only really begun to see what digital can do for the cinema industry.”

AAM has also announced that its Event Cinema distribution division is to be merged with sister company Mr. Wolf. This will create a separate, newly integrated content production, finance, distribution and marketing business solely focused on Event Cinema. It will do business under the name Arts Alliance Limited.

The announcement follows AAM selling its Content Processing and Delivery division to Motion Pictures Solutions. These developments complete the streamlining process which now enables AAM to focus on supplying technology, support, softward and financing solutions to cinemas worldwide.