REED HASTINGS
LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY
Expanding on a radical idea at the perfect time , Reed Hastings was instrumental in the explosion of Netflix – the pioneering digital online streaming services platform .
After co-founding the company in 1997 alongside Marc Randolph , Hastings became Executive Chairman in 2023 after 25 years as its CEO . He is also responsible for founding Pure Software , a leading company that made tools for software developers .
With Netflix ’ s strategy to be ‘ hyper-focused on the customer ’ and learning more about what they want , Hastings ’ leadership helped the company boom from a cheap DVD rental market into a large-scale digital network .
Speaking in an interview in 2009 , Hastings remarked : “ There is a revolution happening , and within two years I think that Wi-Fi and Netflix will be built into all televisions .”
It was this foresight that enabled Netflix to expand into what it is today – a multi-billion dollar platform that offers thousands of films , television shows , games and digital media content to people in more than 190 countries worldwide .
Netflix : Excelling with a radical strategy Hastings received a BA from Bowdoin College in 1983 , and an MSc in artificial intelligence ( AI ) from Stanford University in 1988 . In the midst of both degrees , he served in the Peace Corps as a high school maths teacher and currently remains on the board of several educational organisations , including KIPP and Pahara .
REED HASTINGS
TITLE : CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
COMPANY : NETFLIX INDUSTRY : MEDIA LOCATION : UNITED STATES
Co-founding online streaming services company Netflix more than 25 years ago , Reed Hastings is a celebrated businessman , philanthropist and thought leader in the world of digital media . He has previously sat on the board of several major technology companies , including Microsoft from 2007-2012 and Facebook from 2011-2019 .
26 May 2024