Bill Collis has been appointed chairman of the board by disguise.
Collis brings extensive experience in the film and video industry to his new post: he was formerly CEO and president of The Foundry, which he led for over a decade. Collis built The Foundry, organically transforming it from a London-based niche visual effects software company into a high-growth global force in the development and distribution of media post production tools and product design technology.
Collis currently works with several private equity-backed companies either as chairman or director. He is chairman of Random42 and sits on the boards of Cubic Motion and Exocad.
“We’re pinching ourselves with delight at having the chance to work with Bill, as he has an amazing combination of technical, business and investment experience. Few people have the industry credentials and reputation that Bill has earned over the years,” said Ash Nehru, founder, disguise.
“After experiencing a remarkable period of growth and acceptance of our products worldwide, we’re looking forward to having Bill help us take disguise to the next level. and we’re really excited about what we’re going to build together.” added Fernando Kufer, CEO, disguise.
“I'm thrilled to be joining Ash, Fernando and the rest of the disguise team. disguise is the clear market leader for creative software and media servers in the concert touring and live events space, and it is fast expanding into the film and broadcast markets," concluded Collis. "This has fueled phenomenal growth over the last year, and I hope to help the team continue on the trajectory over the coming years."
Collis' leadership skills earned him an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2012. He holds a PhD in signal processing, numerous patents, a major feature film credit, and a Scientific and Technical Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his technology contributions to film.
