TiVo chief downunder ejects to the US

The struggling Australian operation of TiVo, operated by Hybrid TV Services, has quietly lost its founding CEO Robbee Minicola, who has moved to a board position with the company and returned to her native USA.

The company has yet to issue an official announcement regarding the executive changes, however Minicola confirmed her departure via Twitter on September 7. “Haven't really 'left' - I am now on the Board and our CMO is now the GM ANZ for the biz. So still connected!”

Hybrid TV chief marketing officer Tim Boys has taken her role as CEO of Hybrid TV Australia and New Zealand which is the Australasian licensee of TiVo and owned by Seven West Media and TVNZ. Telecom New Zealand is its major ISP partner in New Zealand.

Prior to joining Hybrid Television Services, Boys was an account director at Euro RSCG on the Sony Australia business and was also a marketing communications executive at Panasonic Australia.

Minicola, a seasoned digital executive, joined Hybrid TV in late 2008 to launch the TiVo service. It is understood that her contact had ended. “Ready for the next challenge – living stateside now after working abroad for the past 27 years!” she also tweeted.

Earlier this year, TiVo shed around Australian 40 staff including its CTO and stripped operations down to skeleton staff.

Despite powerful backers in the Seven Network in Australia and TVNZ and Telecom NZ across the Tasman, TiVo has consistently failed to get market traction locally. The advent of national broadband networks in both territories will also pose growth hurdles unless a departure in strategy is implemented. ®