Cobalt Digital‘s VP/Business Development of two years — a four-decade broadcast industry veteran who has been a part of the executive team for the past five years — has climbed to the role of CEO at the TV industry tech company.
Robert McAlpine settled into the role just before the New Year, and is now managing the overall operation, direction and continued growth for the company.
“Bob is a consummate professional whose leadership, drive, expertise, and organization have been instrumental in our growth,” said Cobalt Digital President Gene Zimmerman. “He has a real gift for nurturing our skills and making the best use of our talents in every department — from engineering to the front office — in order to make us the best we can be. We have all benefited from his counsel and friendship, and I can’t think of anyone better to lead us at a time when the industry is evolving faster than ever.”
Before joining Cobalt, McAlpine served as VP/Sales at Telecast Fiber Systems, where he was responsible for worldwide direct sales and channel operations. Before that, he held the role of VP/Global Sales and Business Development at MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems.
McAlpine also held several sales-management positions during a 17-year tenure at Pesa, where he rose to SVP/Sales & Marketing before the company was acquired by QuStream.
McAlpine is also a U.S. Armed Forces veteran and spent four years in the electronics field for the Air Force.
He is also a member of NAB’s Executive Advisory Committee.
Cobalt Digital designs and manufacturers 12G/3G/HD/SD and IP-based conversion, terminal, throwdown and multiviewer technology for the broadcast television environment. Cobalt is a founding partner in the openGear initiative.