Boxoffice - March 219

EDITED BY LAURA SILVER
Delivering
innovative
insurance products
for the cinema
exhibition industry
JACK KLINE
STEPS DOWN
AFTER 40 YEARS
AT CHRISTIE
>> Jack Kline
(right), a pioneer in
digital cinema technology
and architect
of the virtual print
fee (VPF) that accelerated
the adoption
of digital projection
in movie theaters,
is stepping down as
chairman, president,
and CEO of Christie
after 40 years with
the company, effective
April 1, 2019.
Current Chief Financial Officer Kazuhisa
Kamiyama will assume the role of
chairman and CEO, while Kline remains
at the company as an executive adviser to
the CEO until April 1, 2020, to assist in
a smooth transition.
“I am fortunate to have worked at
Christie my entire professional life and to
have played a critical role in leading the
company into the digital age, helping it
become a global force in digital display
technology,” said Kline. “I have full confidence
in the future of Christie, which
is filled with talented, dedicated, and
highly motivated people who are focused
on developing innovative technology and
service to our customers.”
During his tenure at Christie, Kline
led a growth strategy that included the
purchase of Canada’s Electrohome Projection
Systems in 1999, shortly afterward
becoming the first OEM to license and
bring to market digital cinema projectors
using Texas Instruments’ DLP Cinema
technology. The move catapulted the
company from a
35-millimeter analog
projector manufacturer
to a global
leader in digital projection
solutions.
In 2005, Kline
created strategic
partnerships with
major Hollywood
studios, exhibitors,
projector manufacturers,
and technology
providers to advance
the installation
of digital cinema. He
then played a critical
role in developing
the virtual print fee
(VPF) financial solution and the Christie/
AIX deployment program that introduced
thousands of cutting-edge digital
cinema projectors into the marketplace.
Kline joined Christie in 1979 as a
national sales representative and was
promoted to VP of sales and marketing
in 1988. He was named executive VP
and COO in 1997 and appointed president
and COO in 1999. In 2014, he
assumed the role of chairman, president,
and CEO of all of Christie’s operating
companies, worldwide.
Kamiyama joined Christie’s parent
company Ushio Inc. in 1995 and became
CFO of Ushio America in 2003. He was
named general manager of accounting in
2011 and executive officer and general
manager of Ushio’s corporate headquarters
in 2016. He earned an MBA from
the International University of Japan.
“Jack’s vision and his spirit of innovation
will remain integral parts of the
company’s success for years to come,”
said Kamiyama.
INSURANCE COVERAGE
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P R I C E
INSURANCE SERVICES
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425·957·0600
LICENSE #0589960
MARCH 2019
7