Vidyard has definitely established itself as one of the startups to watch in the Waterloo region. The company recently raised an impressive $50 million series C round in January, almost exactly a year after raising an $18 million series B.
And the company shows no signs of slowing down, as it brings on a new, experienced executive to keep up its growth. Steve Johnson, who most recently acted as Hootsuite’s chief revenue officer between June 2011 and December 2015, is joining Vidyard as its company president and COO.
“I can hardly believe how much innovation is happening in marketing technology these days,” Johnson said. “Social media was the biggest marketing trend over the last five years, and now video is taking up that mantle. I’m excited to be on board to help Vidyard continue to dominate the video marketing world.”
During Johnson’s time at Hootsuite, the company grew from a sub-$100 million valuation to over $1 billion and from 27 employees to more than 800. He plans to help Vidyard make similar strides.
“Hiring an experienced professional like Steve is a signal of things to come,” said Vidyard CEO and co-founder Michael Litt. “We’re maturing our go-to-market model, and with his expertise, we will be able to provide exemplary service to our customers while continuing to grow exponentially for years to come. We’re the dominant player in this massive untouched category. Our plans are to continue leading the industry, aided by his experience and influence.”
Vidyard has tripled its year-over-year revenue for the last two years, and its customer base includes Honeywell, Lenovo, LinkedIn, Cision, TD Ameritrade, Citibank, Sharp, and 24 of the top 100 global software companies. Besides acting as president for Vidyard, Johnson serves on the advisory boards of Mobify, MarketLinc, and Bench Accounting.
