RealNetworks, Inc. announced today that founder Rob Glaser has stepped down as CEO. He will remain chairman of the board of directors of RealNetworks. The company also announced that its board of directors has appointed Robert Kimball president and acting chief executive officer. The board also appointed Mr. Kimball to the board of directors.
“After nearly 16 years, I’ve decided it’s time for me to step away from day-to-day operations,” said Glaser in the press release. “I’m grateful to all of our stakeholders – customers, partners, shareholders, and most of all, employees – for the support and commitment they’ve given to RealNetworks. I remain committed to the company and look forward to continuing to serve in my capacity as board chairman.”
“Few people have changed an industry and created a unique experience for billions of people,” said Jonathan Klein, a board member of RealNetworks and the co-founder and CEO of Getty Images, in the press release. “Rob has changed the face of digital entertainment with RealNetworks’ streaming media products. At the same time Rob has had a profound impact on politics and philanthropy. I’m sure he will continue to do this extraordinary work as well as spending time with his wife and young children. We are grateful for all he has done for the company, the industry and employees, and are pleased that he will continue to serve on the board.”
MacDailyNews Take: All of that Microsoft money blown already?
Bob Kimball joined the company in 1999 and has been a member of the senior executive team since 2003. He most recently served as general counsel and executive vice president of corporate development at Real. “In the decade he’s been at Real, Bob has proven to be an outstanding business executive and leader, and under his leadership the company won’t skip a beat,” said Mr. Glaser, in the release. “Our board has great confidence in Bob, and he will be a candidate for the permanent CEO position as part of a formal search process that will begin soon.”
“I look forward to the opportunity ahead,” said Mr. Kimball in the release. “Real has a great team in place, a strong financial position, close customer relationships and fantastic products. We plan to transform Real into a more focused and more profitable company that delivers value to our shareholders.”
Source: RealNetworks, Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: Inexplicably, Krispy Kreme (KKD) shares are down slightly on the news.
He might find work at Palm
Rob’s only going to be able to afford Dunkin’ now
For REAL ?
Thats a REAL Shame.
You REAL-ly, REALY -ly didn’t like him.
Who gives a flying f$#K….
Krispy Kreme nearby closes due to lack of business
I remember some years ago when Quicktime was in 3rd place behind Real and Windows Media.
I also remember a time when I needed the free RealPlayer for some piece of Web content, and their website did everything it could to trick me into getting a version I had to pay for.
I remember all the times Real tried to leach off iTunes with Rhapsody or whatever it was called.
How times have changed. Real is irrelevant, as it always deserved to be.
It’s funny because he’s fat!!
“He might find work at Palm”
————
I thought Palm only hires ex-Apple employees????
@Bubbles,
I too remember RealNetworks. I love these “where are they now” articles. Real started out as something counter-Microsoft, and then got crushed when Microsoft started taking web media seriously. It sucked when QuickTime was a distant 3rd, but was far superior to either Windows Media or RealMedia. Apple just didn’t have the bizdev that Microsoft and RealNetworks had at the time.
It’s amazing what RealNetworks had at various points in time and then just pissed away.
Yeah… LOL Palm will hire him.
He has young children? I feel sick.
“I’m grateful to all of our stakeholders”
Freudian Slip?? “steakholders”. Have they been holding out on Rob?
I tried to remove RealPlayer from my machine once and found that it was indeed a virus. It kept coming back and inserting itself as the default player. I finally solved that problem and many others by buying a Mac. I’ve never looked back.
Wow, I completely forgot about Real.
I mean 100% completely forgot about them.
A shame there aren’t any more Dunkin’ Donuts in Seattle, but there is a Krispy Kreme about 3 miles south of Real Networks (close to Mariner and Seahawk stadiums). I met his wife one time, she’s hot. The big guy lucked out. Rob never got along with all the other Microsoft execs so he branched out on his own. Got to give him credit for getting out of Redmond early on. Too bad his player never challenged Quicktime, but just as well.
Who the hell uses Real software anymore?
Great pic MDN. ROFLMAO!
Still using Real for streaming media not blocked out by corporate firewall. Most iTunes related media gets blocked.
Jokes aside, I’m grateful that they made a Mac version altogether.
Donut boy has gone to that deep fryer in the sky.
What? He’s not dead yet?
Oh man!
I’ve got at least 756k of vintage porn in Real format
Get Jiggy, Doughnut Boy!!!
Glaser says:
I want a bean feast!
Cream buns and doughnuts and fruitcake with no nuts
So good you could go nuts, now!!
I want a ball, I want a party
Pink macaroons and a million balloons and performing baboons and …
Give it to me – Rrhh rhhh – Now!
I want the world, I want the whole world
I want to lock it all up in my pocket
It’s my bar of chocolate — Give it to me — Now!
And Napster’s Gorog just got fired. Remember how both of them chortled they would destroy iTunes and the iPod?
“RealNetworks’ founder Rob Glaser steps down as CEO”
I hope nobody was under him when he stepped.
With all the jokes about Glaser and Real, the truth is that Real Audio was the first streaming music system on the internet.
At the time, it was amazing. It was historically significant, because no one thought it could be done.
Really, to be fair, we have to give them credit for that.
Jonathan Klein is also another looser who runs a company that never made a dime and screwed up an entire industry. You can iCal it. He will be next on the list. Already Getty Images is out of stock market in order to avoid showing the immensity of the loss…
Now it makes sense…