Dave Habiger
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" Habiger is an American digital media
executive and entrepreneur
. He has been appointed as NDS Group
Chief Executive Officer in 2011 . He was president
and chief executive officer
of Sonic Solutions
. He was the founder of Providence Productions.
. His father was a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. In the late 70’s, his mother was engaged in the computer revolution and introduced Dave to technology at an early age.
Habiger received a Bachelors degree from St. Norbert College
and began producing documentaries after graduation. In 1991 he founded Providence Productions, which focused on funding, producing, and distributing documentaries .
In 1997, he received his MBA from the University of Chicago
.
(NASDAQ: SNIC) in 1992 and was instrumental in the company’s 1994 initial public offering
. Under Habiger's leadership, Sonic focused on software developers and became one of the largest global providers of premium movies and TV shows via the Web and CE devices. Habiger emphasizes engineering excellence and empowering the engineers in an organization. Since its IPO, the company has generated over $1.5 billion in revenue in the digital media category and has been named one of Forbes, Fortune and Business Week’s Fastest Growing Companies on multiple occasions.. Sonic opened the NASDAQ market in 2008 and 2010.
Habiger was named 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year for The American Business Defense and Advisory Council. He is the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2008, Dave was chosen as one of Corporate Leader Magazine’s 40 under 40 business leaders and regularly appears as an industry expert on major media outlets including: CNBC
, CNN
, Fox
, USA Today
, TheStreet.Com
, and Bloomberg TV.
Hollywood Reporter chose him as one of 2010’s Digital Power 50. Between March 2009 and March 2011 he oversaw a 5000% increase in Sonic’s market capitalization as the company reinvented its core business. He sold Sonic to Rovi Corporation (NASDAQ: ROVI) in early 2011 at a 66% premium - slightly under 1 billion dollars after stock adjustments to the deal.
In 2008 Habiger joined the board of Akimbo Systems. Habiger is on the Advisory Board for the University of Chicago
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship. He is Chairman of the Chicago EV Commission. He is currently on the advisor board for the Heroic Imagination Project and is a trustee for the Hinsdale
Historic Society. He is a member of the NACD, National Association of Corporate Directors, as well as a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and for the Center for Corporate Innovation. Habiger is a member of the RealD
(NASDAQ: RLD) board. He is a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
.
Dave Habiger holds dual citizenship in both the United States
and European Union
.
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
executive and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He has been appointed as NDS Group
NDS Group
NDS Group Plc. is a developer of pay TV technology. NDS was established in 1988 as an Israeli start up company. It was acquired by News Corporation in 1992. The company is currently headquartered in Staines, United Kingdom...
Chief Executive Officer in 2011 . He was president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions, acquired by Rovi Corporation in 2010, was a computer software company headquartered in Novato, California. In addition to having a number of offices in the U.S., the company also maintained offices in Europe and Asia.-History:...
. He was the founder of Providence Productions.
Early life
Habiger was born in Joliet, IllinoisJoliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
. His father was a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. In the late 70’s, his mother was engaged in the computer revolution and introduced Dave to technology at an early age.
Habiger received a Bachelors degree from St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the college became coeducational and today enrolls about 2,175...
and began producing documentaries after graduation. In 1991 he founded Providence Productions, which focused on funding, producing, and distributing documentaries .
In 1997, he received his MBA from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Career
Dave began working with the founding members of Sonic SolutionsSonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions, acquired by Rovi Corporation in 2010, was a computer software company headquartered in Novato, California. In addition to having a number of offices in the U.S., the company also maintained offices in Europe and Asia.-History:...
(NASDAQ: SNIC) in 1992 and was instrumental in the company’s 1994 initial public offering
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
. Under Habiger's leadership, Sonic focused on software developers and became one of the largest global providers of premium movies and TV shows via the Web and CE devices. Habiger emphasizes engineering excellence and empowering the engineers in an organization. Since its IPO, the company has generated over $1.5 billion in revenue in the digital media category and has been named one of Forbes, Fortune and Business Week’s Fastest Growing Companies on multiple occasions.. Sonic opened the NASDAQ market in 2008 and 2010.
Habiger was named 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year for The American Business Defense and Advisory Council. He is the 2011 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2008, Dave was chosen as one of Corporate Leader Magazine’s 40 under 40 business leaders and regularly appears as an industry expert on major media outlets including: CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Fox
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, TheStreet.Com
TheStreet.com
-History:TheStreet.com, Inc., was co-founded in 1996 by Jim Cramer and Martin Peretz. It is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market. The company is headquartered at 14 Wall Street in New York City. Its stock was made public in May 1999 under the direction of past Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...
, and Bloomberg TV.
Hollywood Reporter chose him as one of 2010’s Digital Power 50. Between March 2009 and March 2011 he oversaw a 5000% increase in Sonic’s market capitalization as the company reinvented its core business. He sold Sonic to Rovi Corporation (NASDAQ: ROVI) in early 2011 at a 66% premium - slightly under 1 billion dollars after stock adjustments to the deal.
In 2008 Habiger joined the board of Akimbo Systems. Habiger is on the Advisory Board for the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship. He is Chairman of the Chicago EV Commission. He is currently on the advisor board for the Heroic Imagination Project and is a trustee for the Hinsdale
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
Historic Society. He is a member of the NACD, National Association of Corporate Directors, as well as a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and for the Center for Corporate Innovation. Habiger is a member of the RealD
RealD
RealD Inc. is the company that develops the RealD Cinema technology, used for projecting films in stereoscopic 3D using circularly polarized light. The company was founded in 2003 by Michael V. Lewis and Joshua Greer. Between 2005 and 2007 the company purchased StereoGraphics Inc...
(NASDAQ: RLD) board. He is a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE , founded in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is an international professional association, based in...
.
Dave Habiger holds dual citizenship in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Awards
Dave Habiger received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year© Award in 2011. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year© award is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, spanning more than 140 cities and 50 countries worldwide.External links
- SonicPress Youtube Channel. Interviews with Habiger.