Imax Names Pablo Calamera as Chief Technology Officer

By Rebecca Rubin

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Imax has named Pablo Calamera as chief technology officer and executive VP, the company announced Monday. He succeeds Brian Bonnick, who will retire after 20 years on the job.

Calamera, who joins from video platform JW Player, will report to Imax CEO Rich Gelfond and will be based in New York.

“Over the course of his 30-year career, Pablo has cultivated deep expertise in helping global brands leverage technology to develop innovative products and platforms, expand their reach, and connect with consumers in powerful ways,” Gelfond said in a statement. “Building on our record-breaking year, Pablo will spearhead the development of solutions that further evolve and strengthen our global theatre network and extend our leadership in delivering the most immersive entertainment experiences in the world.”

He added, “Brian Bonnick has been a driving force behind the technology that lifted Imax beyond museums and into multiplexes around the world, establishing the company as a global entertainment powerhouse.”

In his new role, Calamera will lead the company’s technology strategy and oversee development and implementation of products. His resume also includes CTO at Vonage, CTO of ClearChannel and CTO of Thumbplay, a cloud-based music comapny. He’s also worked at Apple, Microsoft, and WebTV.

“Imax is a company I’ve long admired, for the way it’s wielded technology to transform how artists and fans connect, and how audiences around the world experience entertainment,” Calamera. said “I look forward to building on the successful rollout of our new Imax with laser systems, and further evolving and enhancing our global theatre network as well as core Imax technologies which will further drive our innovation and reach.”

Imax set a new company record at the box office last year, crossing $1 billion in global ticket sales  due to the success of blockbusters like “Captain Marvel,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “The Lion King.” It was the second year in a row Imax hit the billion-dollar milestone.

Adds Bonnick, “It has been the great honor of my career to help build and grow Imax and connect audiences around the world. When I joined Imax in 1999, no one could have dreamed of how we would grow the brand by building so many new cutting-edge technology platforms, and it’s proof of the power of technology to empower creativity and inspire wonder in us all.”