Krish Kumar named Wowza CEO
Wowza has named Krish Kumar as chief executive officer, effective 2 December 2024. He succeeds co-founder and CEO Dave Stubenvoll, who has led Wowza since its founding in 2007. Stubenvoll remains a meaningful investor in Wowza and a member of its board of directors. Wowza has been backed by Boston-based software private equity firm Clearhaven Partners since May 2021.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Krish as CEO of Wowza,” remarked Michelle Noon, founder and managing partner of Clearhaven Partners. “Krish brings a proven track record of harnessing powerful products with large market opportunities to catalyse scalable go-to-market operations and drive accelerated growth through his customer-centric approach. Wowza’s well-established position as a trusted partner to organisations who seek reliable streaming at scale for their mission-critical applications is unmatched and provides a great foundation from which Krish will lead the next chapter of the company’s growth and innovation. I look forward to partnering with Krish. I’m equally thrilled that Dave Stubenvoll will remain a board member and continuing investor. Clearhaven and Dave have had the ideal founder-investor partnership since day one of our investment, and it is a testament to what Dave and his team built that we are, in many ways, still just beginning the journey toward Wowza’s full potential.”
Kumar brings extensive experience as a technical and growth-oriented leader with a customer-first perspective. Prior to Wowza, he was chief executive officer of BrightEdge, a global leader in organic search, content, and digital automation, where he played a transformational role in accelerating growth and expanding its AI-driven product offerings. Prior to BrightEdge, Kumar spent nearly a decade at Google, where he held multiple leadership roles, including global head of enterprise search and at X, the moonshot factory, renowned for its cutting-edge innovation. As video becomes an increasingly critical medium for communication, engagement, and decision-making in today’s digital-first world, Kumar brings a deep understanding of how to leverage technology to deliver impactful, scalable solutions in this rapidly evolving space.
“I am thrilled to join Wowza at such an exciting point in its journey,” said Kumar. “Dave and the Wowza team have built a strong foundation with its stellar customer base, valuable products and brand recognition, making it the go-to platform for leading businesses, institutions and the developer communities. I am eager to build on this success alongside the Wowza team. I am excited to continue to expand our market presence, collaborating closely with our customers and partners to continue to support solving their mission-critical streaming needs. I am also excited to build on a history to streaming technology leadership to drive the next era of innovation for Wowza’s customers. I am delighted to partner with Clearhaven and have already found strong alignment in our approach to the Wowza growth opportunity.”
“I am both proud of what we have accomplished at Wowza and humbled by the continued significance of the opportunity ahead for the company,” said Stubenvoll. “Krish has an exceptional track record of driving innovation and growth, and I couldn’t be more excited for the era of Krish’s leadership as he will drive the business to its next levels of success. I look forward to supporting him and the team in continued partnership with Clearhaven.”