BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 11, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avid® (Nasdaq:AVID) announced today that software development veteran Rashid Desai has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. A key member of Avid’s Executive Leadership Team, Desai will tap into more than 20 years of experience to further execute the company’s strategic vision, Avid EverywhereTM.

Reporting directly to Avid Chairman, President and CEO Louis Hernandez, Jr., Desai will be responsible for leading all of Avid’s technology teams, including software and hardware engineering and information and technology. He will spearhead the development of innovative applications for the Avid MediaCentral TM Platform to help media organizations and creative professionals make content creation and distribution more efficient, powerful, and collaborative.

“With 20 years’ technology leadership experience, Rashid brings a strong track record for leading and transforming global technology teams,” said Hernandez. “Having worked with Rashid at Open Solutions, I’m confident that his experience developing platforms that scale to global levels will help us drive Avid Everywhere forward.”

Desai joins Avid from Barclaycard, where he held Managing Director, Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles. He was responsible for the company’s U.S. technology strategy and capabilities, and successfully led a multi-year transformation of the business, with an emphasis on secure cloud-based technologies using agile development and lean operations.

Earlier in his career, Desai held technology leadership positions at Equifax, where he drove the development of an enterprise customer management platform, oversaw the innovation of a scalable global internet commerce platform, and strengthened and simplified the company’s infrastructure. He is also a board member at Zip Code Wilmington, Delaware’s first coding school, preparing the next generation of software development professionals.

“My key objective is to drive the development of innovative solutions that solve the media industry’s most critical challenges,” Desai said. “I am proud to be part of a global team that is so committed to innovation and customer success, and I look forward to playing a key role in fulfilling the Avid Everywhere vision.”

Desai completes Avid’s Executive Leadership Team with the recent appointments of Warner Bros. alum and technology leader Kyle Kim-Hays as Chief Marketing Officer, former Orad executive Ilan Sidi as the Vice President of Human Resources, and the promotion of Avid veteran Dana Ruzicka to Chief Product Officer.

About Avid

Through Avid Everywhere™, Avid delivers the industry’s most open, innovative and comprehensive media platform connecting content creation with collaboration, asset protection, distribution and consumption. Media organizations and creative professionals use Avid solutions to create the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world—from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, to the most popular television shows, news programs and televised sporting events, as well as a majority of today’s most celebrated music recordings and live concerts. Industry leading solutions include Pro Tools®, Media Composer®, ISIS®, Interplay®, ProSet and RealSet, Maestro, PlayMaker, and Sibelius®. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, connect with Avid on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or subscribe to Avid Blogs.

© 2015 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Avid, the Avid logo, Avid Everywhere, iNEWS, Interplay, ISIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools, and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice.

CONTACT: PRESS CONTACT:
         Sara Griggs
         Avid
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         310-907-6909